Six to Bereavement
by Jaslazul
Summary: New version! Immediately after the Aparoid War, an attempt on Fox's life leads to a tryst that spirals out of control. Fighting his reticence, he struggles to satisfy himself, his rival, his teammates, and all of Lylat.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_When the time comes, don't hesitate. Just act._

When he'd first went to bed, he'd been exhausted from countless hours of fighting, but now sleep wouldn't come. He'd force his eyes shut and his mind blank, but each time, it was only a minute before he was staring at the ceiling again, replaying the fights, reliving how he'd missed that one shot while on foot, how he could've saved Slippy's wing if he'd got his sights down sooner, how one of his laser shots had almost hit Leon's ship. How he probably wouldn't have been able to take the last shot without remembering his rival's words, which still rang in his ears.

It didn't help that everything in the room was foreign: the sheets, the scents, and even the air composition. Military beds weren't nearly as comfortable as his own, now incinerated along with the rest of his ship, but that alone wouldn't keep him from sleep. Maybe it was the excitement, knowing that when he woke, they'd be docked in a Zoness tourist magnet. Maybe it was the guilt, knowing that hundreds of military operatives, the Great Fox, and Star Wolf had all gone down with the Queen. Or maybe it was the uncertainty, knowing that somehow Wolf's team had probably survived.

Whatever it was, it kept him up through most of the night. He wasn't sure if the replays ever morphed into dreams; the only thing he knew for certain in the morning was that the alarm came far too soon.

He found the others in the carrier's lounge the next day, crowded around the windows opposite its entrance. Peppy's head cocked over towards him when he entered. "Sure is something, eh?" the hare said.

He didn't mean the lounge—it was the same as the one on any other military vessel, lacking the holovisions or billiard tables that the team had put in their own lounge, making due with only a few couches and seats clustered around the room. He could see the light coming in from the windows, and when he got closer, he could see the beautiful blue oceans typical of Zoness—a sharp contrast to the toxic waste he'd seen not too many years past. "Wow. Too bad we can't stay."

"Maybe we can," Falco said, arms crossed, "once we get our paycheck."

"I still can't believe we did it," Krystal said. When Fox met her eyes, their minds touched, and Fox felt a bit of her elation.

"Saving the world isn't as grand as everyone thinks," Fox said, a bit amused. "Better get ready to file for unemployment."

Slippy huffed. "I'm not trying to be greedy, but I hope they pay us more than last time."

"Unlikely," Peppy said, his voice cold. "I'm sure the government will focus on rebuilding the city, and most of our reward will be fame. Again."

"Totally unfair," Falco said.

Fox laughed. "If you want money, look into prostitution." He took another look out the window. If he were looking from the other side of the ship, he knew he would see the small yet metropolitan city of Kana, one of the larger port cities of Zoness. Of course, by Corneria's standards, that was still fairly small, but after being trapped onboard ships for a month with his only land-time always accompanied by an arsenal of explosives, the thought of prowling just about any city made his tail wag. "I think I'm gonna hit the streets, now."

"Uh-huh." Falco eyed Fox with mock suspicion. "So how much are you going to pay the whores tonight?"

"Silly Falco," Fox said. "I don't need to pay for sex."

Slippy seemed to be studying Fox. "You look too tired for that, anyway," he said with an admirably straight face. "Pull an all-nighter?"

Fox shook his head. "Just... was thinking about some things."

"That's dangerous," Falco said.

Fox rolled his eyes. "For you, maybe."

"Is it Star Wolf?" Peppy asked.

Fox shrugged. "I mean, that's part of it, I guess. I don't think they're gone."

"Don't worry about it," Peppy said. "Even if they're still alive, I don't think they want us dead anymore."

Falco's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Oh, really? They only helped us so they could kill us later, you know. And there's no way they could've lived."

"I dunno." Fox was quiet for a while, before looking at Slippy. "What's your opinion, Slips?"

He could see the toad's face light up a little. "Star Wolf didn't want the aparoids to win, but I bet they wouldn't have minded if we'd died on the way out... you think?"

"I don't know what to think," Fox said. Star Wolf, especially his rival, had been on and off his mind for most of the war, and he was beginning to tire of dwelling on them so much, because he never made any progress in figuring them out. "I don't think we should bother."

"I think," Krystal said, "that we should stop talking about the war and try to relax ourselves."

"Yeah." Fox tapped his knuckles against the neoglass of the windows, as if the motion would help him concentrate. "I mean, that's why we're here, right? And there's nothing we can do about them, anyway."

"Well," Peppy said, already starting towards the door to the hall with the closest elevator, "Let's go see the city."

The others trailed after him, talking amongst themselves. Fox followed, and soon Krystal was at his side. "Do you have any plans for tonight, Fox?"

Fox thought for a minute, then shrugged. "Really, I've had enough plans for a year or three. I'll improvise."

The Zonessian seaside was one of those places you saw in travel brochures scattered throughout the system, the kind of place that everyone knew of, but far fewer have been to. Fox, sprawled on his team-logoed blanket and comfortably full from the bowl of Kani soup he'd consumed half an hour ago, couldn't help noticing that, despite Andross's invasion nearly ten years ago, the shores were still the same as the last time he'd been here: beautiful blue oceans, tropical weather, and sandy beaches, host to citizens from all demographics.

He couldn't prevent his eyes from following the bystanders, drawing him to a lapine couple, a young female cheetah, a middle-aged male wolf... unlike Fox, who was dressed in his normal casual attire, marred only by the addition of sunglasses, the vast majority of them wore only swimsuits. To him, who was used to the flight jumpsuits and full uniforms Star Fox wore in space, it looked almost absurd. And most of the civilians were grinning, talking amongst themselves while their cubs chased each other across the beach, Andross and the Aparoids far from their minds.

When the young couple drifted closer, Fox couldn't help noticing that the male looked to be little more than eighteen, yet already a golden band adorned his finger. Fox could almost feel Krystal hovering over him now, telling him once more that he needed to be looking for someone to spend his life with, that he couldn't let blasters and Arwings be his sole companions. She'd been on him steadily about that ever since they'd split, but he'd always deflected her admonishments by pointing out more pressing problems, such as Andross or the aparoids—all of which, he noted, are gone now. But there was still Star Wolf, he reminded himself; he refused to believe they were dead. He just couldn't decide what to make of them.

He'd been lounging for half an hour before he felt a shadow fall across him. He looked up, seeing a female fennec standing beside him. She gave him a friendly smile, and said, "You here alone?"

She wore only a bikini, and she was alone, giving him what seemed like a solicitous eye, so he figured he knew why she was here. "Yeah."

Her muzzle tensed in concentration, and her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "Do I know you?"

"You know me, but I don't know you." He removed his sunglasses and looked at her anew, and her face lit up in recognition.

"McCloud?"

Seeing the cant of her ears that implied a complete loss of confidence, he didn't know if he should be flattered or annoyed. "Yeah, but keep it quiet."

"I knew you were here, but... I didn't think you'd be, well, _here_." She gestured with her hands as she spoke, and her voice came out as if it were almost panicked.

He slipped the sunglasses back on, a bit annoyed that his location had been broadcasted. "I don't come here often."

"Couldn't recognize you. Do you normally dress like this?"

"Well," he said, shifting under her scrutiny, "I'm trying to avoid attracting attention." Which, he supposed, was true; he didn't have to mention that he normally just threw clothes on and looked however he looked, but hey, what reason had to shatter her dreams of grandeur?

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?"

He stared at her for a few seconds before saying, "I was actually about to leave."

"Oh?" She'd managed to pull her ears back up, but now they flickered from disappointment, though not surprise. "Where to?"

"Dinner with the team," he lied. "After, we might go get a drink. Know of any good places?"

"There's a Swarthy Stein, the Kana Flagon, a Fichina Café... you can find those on a map—the Flagon's really good—and there's also—"

Fox held up a paw, saying, "Thanks. That's all I need to know."

"A pleasure." She took a small bow, out of respect, but it ended up only looking embarrassing. "Nice meeting you, McCloud."

"And you."

She left him, and minutes later, Fox was in the city again, carrying his towel along with the rest of his scant personal items in the Phoenix bag slung on his back. Unlike in Corneria, carrying a blaster out in Kana would call too much attention to him, but having one in the bag made him feel secure, with the stipulation that the familiar weight usually on his side was now on his back. And as always after big missions, he couldn't stop his automatic scanning of the area, even if he knew there were no threats.

Kana lacked the tall buildings and huge throngs of people that were so prevalent in Corneria, and to Fox, that made it appear much more homely. Though Kana was no small-town village, it certainly was nowhere near as annoyingly boisterous as the grand city. A perfect place for a vacation, a date, or—thinking back to Krystal's words—a tryst.

That made him think back to the fennec at the beach. She'd been fairly attractive (though not worth mentioning to Falco), but he'd known as soon as he'd seen her that he wasn't interested. He deliberated a bit before deciding that probably the only people he would consider dating were pilots, as any other profession just wouldn't mesh with him. Or worse, would be reduced to a sputtering mess like the fennec.

The problem was that he only knew four females that fit the description, and all four of them were out. He'd broken up with both Krystal and Fara in the past, and he had no desire to date felines, so there went Katt and Miyu. And the males... he felt his ears fall in shame, and decided that he didn't want to think about that. Maybe he was doomed to be single forever, and Krystal would just have to get over it. He couldn't deny that he missed curling up next to someone at night, but a mate was more than just a warm body, the likes of which you could get from a heated blanket or pillow at the local supermarket. Fox had a hard enough time just satisfying himself, let alone another person.

Something clicked in Fox's memory when he saw an argon sign for what he assumed was a bar: _The Kana Flagon. Terrible name_, he thought. _Why the hell not?_

The bar was dark and noisy, a battleground to a war of scents from which alcohol had emerged victorious. The mixture tickled his nostrils, warning of a familiar scent, but it was near impossible to trace a single one in the mesh of hundreds that had accumulated over the day. He headed for the bar and ordered a domestic Zoness beer, then migrated to one of the tables closer to the entrance, dropping his bag by his seat and making sure to sit so that he could see the door.

The scent was stronger here, wafting across his nostrils, and the soldier in him couldn't stop ruining his drinking-time by trying to place what it was. It took him several minutes before he figured it out; the scent was jet fuel. There was a pilot in here, but not one that he knew, as none of the people inside smelled familiar. Their scents were fresher and sharper, and he would've picked out an old friend immediately. The realization sent a creeping tingle up his spine, his instincts alerting him that someone was watching him. He kept sneaking glances around the room to see if he recognized anyone, or if he could catch someone staring at him.

He saw one eye looking at him.

He kept alternatively staring into his drink and casting glances over in that direction, and once he could've sworn he saw the glint of purple staring back at him. He looked away and took a swig from his drink, mulling over his choices. Logic was telling him to get out of the bar, but curiosity overpowered it—he'd never have this chance again. A purple eye traced him on the way over there, until Fox sat down beside the other, looking away.

"How'd I know you'd come over here?" The voice, deep and rough, was one Fox had heard countless times before over the comm—oft while gritting his teeth, banging the controls, and hoping to emerge alive from whatever scuffle had brought them together.

Bereft of his ship, the sound of it was enough to pick up his pulse. Coming here had been much easier than thinking of what to say once he'd done it. "Wolf..."

Wolf's glass met the table, a little harder than necessary. "Look, just because I saved your ass a few times doesn't mean we're best buddies now, alright?"

Fox turned to face the older canine. Wolf was leaning back in the chair, staring at him, chest puffed out as if trying to scare him. It wasn't necessary. If anything, Wolf was more impressive out of the cockpit than in it: he was tall, even sitting down, and his shoulders were broad; his arms bulged with muscle, but he lacked the overly-bulky physique of a bodybuilder. And though Wolf had few scattered scars, his posture bent with a certain tension that belied a deeper wound than could come from battle.

"What?"

Wolf's voice snapped Fox out of his reverie. He made himself look away, muttering, "You're straight to the point."

"I don't want you to go around thinking we're pals, okay?"

Fox frowned. The condemning words of his teammates echoed in his head, telling him that the other probably still wanted him dead. This was the wolf he'd dueled in the skies, the one pilot that always made him edgy—but at the same time, he thought, the only reason he was still alive. "We don't have to be enemies, you know."

"Wish that were true," Wolf muttered, his voice nearly inaudible.

"Why isn't it?"

"You don't understand these things, pup."

Fox felt his ears flick in annoyance. He couldn't quite read Wolf's expression. "Must you call me that?"

"I think you owe me enough that I can call you whatever I damn well please."

Fox sighed, throwing up his paws in frustration. "Honestly, why do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you." Strangely, Wolf wouldn't meet his eye. "We're just on the wrong sides."

"Could've fooled me."

Wolf winced. "That was different."

"You saved my ass."

Wolf's muzzle jerked closer to his, and Fox instinctively moved his own away. "Your ass needed saving."

"But you didn't have to help, and I didn't even call you. You just came flying in like you were on our side."

"I didn't have a choice." Wolf stared at him with a single eye, daring him to say otherwise.

"Whatever." Fox looked away first, and drowned down another bulp of beer before muttering, "Thanks."

There; he'd said it. Fox wasn't surprised when Wolf just looked back at his drink and grunted, "Don't think it'll happen again."

They fell into silence, Fox absently rubbing his forehead with a paw. It seemed as if Wolf was deliberately establishing a barrier between them—as if his rival was afraid of talking to him. He sipped from his drink, waiting for the other to speak, but when he looked back over, he saw that Wolf had been staring at him. "What?"

Wolf just shook his head. He looked as if he were calculating something, and it made Fox uneasy. "Thinking."

When Fox brought up his drink for another sip, he found that it was empty. He considered going to get another, but figured that since it was obvious that Wolf wasn't open to discussion, maybe it was time for him to go. "I'll leave you to it," he said. He stood and slung his bag over his shoulders. "Sorry I wasted my time talking to you."

If Wolf had heard, he made no indication of it. Fox sighed and started towards the exit of the bar. By the time he got to the door, though, he was sure that he was being followed.

"Keep walking," Wolf said from behind him.

Fox tried to keep his fear from showing. "Why?" he said without turning.

Wolf leaned closer, so that his breath was hot on Fox's ears. His words came in a whisper. "I have a blaster." Cold metal pressed against Fox's leg, and he had to wonder how Wolf was concealing it. "Walk five feet ahead of me, and if you so much as look back at me, you're gone."

Fox gritted his teeth, but obeyed, walking outwards into the streets. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?"

"Almost certainly."

"Mmm. Think I'll mind blowing off your head?"

Fox had no idea. "Fine." He followed Wolf's directions, walking through the city towards the coast. They passed civilians, but Wolf must have kept the blaster concealed, because none of them looked afraid.

He barely heard when Wolf said, "Turn," at the entrance to an alley. He angled into the alley, and as soon as he was around the corner, he opened his bag and retrieved his blaster. Gripping it firmly in a paw, he spun and aimed it at the alley's entrance.

Wolf came around the corner, blaster pointing at Fox. "No blasters," he said. He waited for Fox to nod before throwing his blaster to the side. Fox could've taken the opportunity to gun Wolf down, but he found himself casting his blaster away anyway, despite knowing that he had no chance of winning this. And as soon as the metal was out of Fox's paws, Wolf lunged and locked him into a grapple.

Fox cursed, tendrils of fear creeping up his spine. Wolf was _strong_. The older canine had both of Fox's arms in a grip, and he knew he wasn't going to win by sheer strength. Wolf was heavier, he thought, and maybe he could use that to his advantage.

Fox kicked out at the other's legs, and though it didn't do any damage, it was enough to knock Wolf off balance. Fox took the opportunity to twist the other's arm, making the older canine grunt in pain. But before Fox could land a punch, Wolf seized upon Fox's bad positioning to kick him, sending him staggering back. He recovered in time to leap away from Wolf's charge.

For a while, they stared at each other, panting. Fox could feel himself shaking—it was just like it was in the cockpit, only exacerbated tenfold, the fear driving out all else because now he knew he couldn't win. It didn't help that Wolf was blocking the only exit, so there was no way he could escape. If Wolf wanted him dead, he would die. But he couldn't help thinking, _Why? _Was this a game to Wolf? Revenge for all the broken ships?

Fox panicked when Wolf started towards him. He didn't know what to do—his mind locked up, his military training dissipating. He threw up his hands to block, despite Peppy's voice screaming at him _Dodge and retaliate!_ When Wolf collided with him, he was completely overwhelmed, and he fell to the ground.

Less than half a second later, Wolf was on top of him, and his strong paws closed around Fox's throat, thumbs digging into the hollow spot at its base. Fox sucked in a breath by instinct, but it caught in his throat and he gagged, sputtering for air that wouldn't come. He struggled to push Wolf off, but the older canine was too strong. Spots of white dotted his vision, tears welled up as he coughed, blurring his sight and burning his eyes.

Just when the world began to slip away, air rushed into Fox's lungs, and he gulped all of it he could, leading him to choke and sputter again. The pressure at his windpipe was gone, though Wolf's paws still encircled his neck, limp. Panting, Fox knew he should prepare to throw all his body weight against Wolf, to try and get him off, but he didn't have the energy. He blinked his ears clear and looked up at Wolf.

The older canine was frowning, eyes focused on Fox's chest, but not seeing it. When Wolf's hands slid away from his throat, curiosity overwhelmed caution. "Why?"

"I was wrong." Wolf stood, the weight leaving Fox's chest, and looked down at him. "Sometimes I do hate you."

"What?"

"You won't see me again," Wolf said. He walked towards the exit of the alley, moving with surprising languor. "It's been fun. Won't deny I enjoyed flying with you, pup."

"Wait!" Fox's muscles locked up when he tried to stand, but he managed to move himself into a sitting position. "What the hell is your problem?"

Wolf snarled, and Fox had to battle the instinct to scoot back. "You're alive, McCloud. You should be kissing my boots."

"I don't understand. Why..."

"You're a smart guy," Wolf said. "Figure it out."

Ten seconds later, Fox was alone in the alley. He crossed his legs and rested his forehead in his paws, thinking,_ Hell if I won't see you again_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

_Figure it out._

Fox sat in the lounge with the rest of the team, draped across one of the couches. Lylat was still rising over the sea, but in less than an hour, it would be noon. The others were talking about something, but he wasn't listening.

Fox kept seeing Wolf in his mind, imagining his rival cloaked in the bar's darkness and avoiding eye contact, or straddling him, snarling as Fox's breath slipped away. No matter the angle from which he viewed last night's events, he couldn't get them to make sense. If Wolf had wanted him dead, well, he would be dead; but if Wolf had wanted him alive, he would've never been attacked to begin with.

Fox knew this wasn't going to quit bugging him until he figured it out. What was it his rival had said? That they were on the wrong sides?

"You okay?"

Fox jumped, but relaxed when he saw that it was only Peppy, standing beside the couch and resting a paw on its arm. "Huh?"

Peppy shrugged. "Just thought you'd been kinda quiet today."

Fox slowly shook his head, trying to think of something convincing to say. He had been quiet, but he didn't really know how Peppy expected him to be as gung-ho as usual when he didn't have a mission to be gung-ho about. "Just... been thinking."

"Star Wolf again?"

"No. I mean, not entirely." He considered telling the hare about Wolf, but a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that it was a bad idea, even though he knew the hare would figure it out eventually. "Just... what are we going to do now?"

"Exactly what we did nine years ago."

"Fall apart, you mean?"

Peppy paused, as if in thought. "I don't have a clue. But it won't be the end of the world if we do, you know."

Fox sat up. "You've thought about this before?"

"I'm old. I think of everything." He scratched an ear, and Fox let his eyes note all the bruises and withered hairs on the hare's muzzle. The bruises, remnants of the crash, would fade with time, but age was ever-building.

Fox bit his lip. "You're not planning on leaving the team, are you?"

Peppy shook his head, giving Fox a warm smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."

It was a few hours and a hearty lunch later when Fox returned to his room, reaching for his laptop. The photon-comp only took a minute to start up, but that was enough for him to collect his thoughts and decide on a plan of action. The arbitrary list of notes he'd made on his communicator during the lunch was a good start, and so it was that he started by trying the first thing on the list.

Naturally, that meant opening the browser and running a few searches. He tried Wolf's name first, but most of what he found were news reports and criticisms of Star Wolf—information that did him little good. It would help, he thought, if he knew what he was looking for, but then it would be far less fun.

Fox chewed on a claw, trying to think. The laptop chimed and a blue chat window appeared in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, startling Fox. He frowned at first, but saw that it was Falco and read the message: **sup? **

Fox paused before responding with, **Just looking some stuff up. | You?**

**bored | slippys working on a new ROB**

**It'll need a new name; he's not ROB**

Fox might've been a mercenary, but he didn't like getting conned into doing dirty work. His old Flight Academy military connections—mainly a certain Bulldog—gave him the tools to avoid it. He logged into the military database as Bill and navigated the documents until he found the list of associations the CDD had put on watch—the companies and gangs they knew were trouble, but couldn't be brought down legally. He read through the descriptions one-by-one, discounting all the organizations that were listed only for smuggling, espionage, or forgery. One of them caught his eye:

_Zenith Enterprises—exclusive gang that fulfills death contracts and organizes smuggling of arms and drugs; impossible to flag; leader "Nico" (weasel, real name unknown) master of criminal activities; will likely remain untouchable as long as the weasel remains in control. (domain located at –—, but inactive since Lylat Wars)_

He'd heard the name Zenith before. Of course, the page was hidden, disguised under a bogus name as a domain that had expired. Trying to recall all the lessons Slippy had given him, Fox opened the source for the page. He puzzled over it for half an hour before he deciphered a sequence of steps he had to take in order to access the page: clicking a combination of hidden buttons, typing a password that was encrypted in the source under a code Fox had to crack, and—of course, remembering Slippy's words—routing himself through a VPN so that he couldn't be tracked.

When the page loaded, displayed in bright blue letters at its top were the words _Zenith Enterprises_. It listed aliases of associates, displaying miscellaneous statistics to the side that lacked the specificity necessary for Fox to read them.

It definitely wasn't inactive. Not anymore.

There were several recent entries, and one of them belonged to a wolf; his profile only had only two encoded strings on it. Fox applied the same de-encryption he'd used on the front page, and came away with the words "signed" and "AR359-S409-m0003i49g."

He rubbed his head, mind already jumping ahead to the _why_.

A few minutes later, the chat window blinked at him. Annoyed, but somewhat relieved to have a distraction, he pulled it up. Falco had written: **hey, slippy needs help, want to come?**

**Busy**, Fox wrote. **Get Peppy or Krystal to help.**

**huh | whats wrong, to busy with your gay porn? :p**

**Falco**, came the standard response, **I'm not gay.**

**i know, chill**

He closed the tab with Zenith's site. Next, he had to figure out where Wolf was. That could be a problem, depending on how much Wolf didn't want to be found.

**hey | Fxo, you there?**

Ignore it, he told himself. He found Wolf's communicator licensed to the same false name that he'd used with Zenith—and the satellite's signal located the device. Funny, because preventing this would've been as simple as Wolf disabling the feature on his communicator…

But that didn't matter right now; what did was that the signal pointed to the local Oriental Suites—a decent hotel, neither trashy nor too expensive. Searching the hotel's online roster confirmed that Wolf had rented a room there, under his real name. It was as if he didn't care anymore.

**Yeah**, he typed. **Sorry, bathroom. | Hey, will you tell the others I'll be going out for a bit. | Got something I need to take care of.**

**alright**

**Tell Peppy and Slippy not to blow up the ship while I'm gone.**

Before Falco had the chance to reply, he closed the laptop's lid and slid it back into its case. It was only then that it struck him:

What next?

The reality of what he was actually going to do had just struck him. He'd just been nearly assassinated, and he was going to go knock on his assassin's door and scold him for working with Zenith? The bruises on his neck were a firm reminder of what had happened when he ignored his teammate's judgments of Wolf, but faced with the alternative of sitting on his ass and doing nothing all day, the McCloud in him knew that the choice was clear.

He was on the way to his door when she knocked. It still scared him, how he just _knew_ when it was her at her door, or how he just knew some of her thoughts. The converse was true, as well, and that, he knew, was what was truly frightening.

"I was just leaving," Fox said as he opened the door for her.

Krystal looked almost insulted. "I know."

"Of course you do." Fox sighed, wondering what else she knew. But, if her creased eyebrow, or the worried aura she threw off was any sign...

"Please be careful," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "I still care about you."

_I care about me, too_, he thought, but what he said was, "I'll be careful."

He knew before he did it that it was by far the stupidest, craziest thing he'd ever do. Every possible thread of logic in him was telling him to stop, but McCloudian hubris guided his paw as he stood before the door, forcing him to rap on the pseudo-wood.

"Not interested," came Wolf's voice from within. It didn't sound like the voice of a killer, and that stupid thought was what drove Fox to knock harder, swiveling his ears forward so that he could pick up the footsteps. The hot rush of adrenaline in his chest seemed oddly comforting, enough that he was able to stand his ground when the door swung cracked open and Wolf's harsh voice called, "The hell do you—"

Wolf's muzzled peeked out the door, and froze, mouth comically agape.

"You don't look through the peephole first?" Fox said, not breaking eye contact.

He expected Wolf to be angry. Anger and frustration had been hard on his rival's muzzle nearly every time he'd seen him, from the first fight on Katina, to the rescue on Corneria, to the confrontation in the bar. Wolf and his scowl had become synonymous, as almost everything Fox said usually brought it on through the static-glazed comm monitor.

So it was a bit of a surprise that Wolf didn't scowl, but instead showed the faintest glimmer of amusement, before quickly masking it behind indifference. "Almost dying once not enough for you, pup?"

"Thought getting rid of me was that easy, kit?"

Wolf frowned at him, his expression distant. He looked so different from the fiery, determined Wolf of last night; it was almost disappointing, forming a pit in Fox's stomach. "Don't you know when to give up?"

"It's common courtesy," Fox started, "that when you have a visitor, you invite him in."

There was another long silence before Wolf grunted, "Fine," and the door swung open. Fox stepped in slowly, hearing the door shut behind him, trapping him in the room with his rival.

He'd expected something more forbidding than a typical single-bed hotel. A couch sat across from the double bed, and a single sock on the floor disturbed the room's tidiness. Wolf kicked it away into a corner as he passed it, grunting as he settled onto the edge of the bed. Seeing Wolf doing normal-people things just didn't click in Fox's mind yet. It had also been years, back in academy days, since he'd been in close quarters with a wolf, so the scent was foreign. Even though Wolf was no fox or skunk, his scent was rich and heavy—not unpleasant, but Fox still found himself breathing through his mouth.

Wolf sat on his bed, arms crossed. His head was tilted away from Fox, but occasionally, Fox could see a purple eye cast his way, as if Wolf were watching him, but trying to be stealthy about it.

"What's the penalty gonna be?" Fox asked. "For not killing me?"

Wolf took in a deep breath, then let it out in a sigh, bringing up a paw to rub at his forehead. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a while. "How'd you get my room?"

Something in the way Wolf said it let Fox know that he already knew the answer. "Magic."

Wolf shook his head, and his lips moved as if he were saying something to himself. He scowled at Fox, but there was no malice in it, as if it were merely a custom that he followed because he didn't know what else he could do. "You looking for an apology, or something? 'cause you're not gonna get one."

"Well, then, that's fine," Fox said. "I just want an explanation. Tell me what the hell that was last night."

"You were there, weren't you?" His one eye looked past Fox, and he paused for a moment before saying, "Seems like you got all the answers, anyway. I'm not gonna kill you, so why don't you leave me alone, pup?"

Fox scoffed. "Yeah, because _I'm_ the one who's bugging _you_."

Wolf growled, and Fox felt the fur on his neck stand up. "You know, if not for me, you'd be dead right now, and if you would've gotten your wish, I would've died nine years ago, first time we fought each other."

"I never wanted you dead!" Fox gritted his teeth. "_You're_ the one who kept going after _me _all those times."

"'cause people kept paying me to do it." He said it as if it were obvious. "And now… it'd solve every single one of my problems if I'd snapped your throat."

"Why don't you do it?"

Wolf closed his eyes. He clenched his fists, screwed his muzzle up in concentration, and then exhaled, turning a somber eye to Fox. "I can't."

Fox blinked at him. "Why not?"

"Oh, come on." Wolf caught his eyes with his single purple one. "Tell me something, Fox."

"Yeah?" His resolve withered under Wolf's cold, calculating scrutiny.

"Have you ever looked in the mirror?"

He squinted at the other, not quite liking the way Wolf was looking at him. He felt powerless under Wolf's gaze. "I don't get it."

Wolf growled, ears twitching. "Of course you don't. You're the dumbest genius I know."

He inched closer, giving Wolf the most intense stare he could muster. "You think blowing up your ships means I can read your mind?"

"I think you should just get out of here," Wolf said. "Before I do something stupid."

The way he said it, the way there was nothing aggressive in his posture at all, made Fox hesitate. "Define stupid."

"_Please_," Wolf said, punching out the word as if it were a heinous curse, "just leave me alone. Why do you insist on making me so goddam miserable?"

Fox growled. "Why are you so damn scared to tell me anything?" Wolf, still prone on the bed, acted as if he hadn't heard.

He'd barely finished when Wolf stood, storming towards the door. Fox followed him and snapped, "What the hell, Wolf? Are you really gonna—"

Before he could finish, his rival had spun to face him, teeth bared. Wolf grabbed his shoulders with both paws and said, "You want me to show you what's wrong with me?"

This close to Wolf, drowning in his scent, he was powerless, and so nervous that he could barely think. "I..." He noted that Wolf was blocking his way to the door, but oddly, he wasn't scared.

Wolf's jaws came closer. Strong arms held Fox tight, and even if they weren't closed around him, he wasn't sure if he would've been able to move. By the time he felt Wolf's tongue lightly lapping at his lips, he'd lost conscious control of his body, and all he could do was take in a shaky breath.

His consciousness was screaming at him to break away, because this wasn't what was supposed to happen at all—in fact, it was probably the most terrible thing he could have imagined. But he couldn't pull away. Shivers shot down his spine, and he found himself pressing forward, dimly aware of Wolf's paw on the top of his head.

For few precious moments, all was forgotten. Wolf was no enemy or rival, but a strong, warm body enveloping his own, the taste and scent causing Fox's vocal chords to give a single raspy, revealing vibration. By the end of it all, there was a pleasant tingling throughout Fox's body, and the tingling had found a particularly attractive roost in his sheath.

When Wolf pulled away, Fox's mind reeled, the world spinning around him. Wolf was looking down at him, his ears down, mouth agape as if he were about to speak, but couldn't pull out the words. His muzzle was an unreadable wash of emotions that Fox figured would be mirrored perfectly on his own.

Fox leaned against the wall, his back to the other. What felt like an eternity later, he heard himself say, "What just happened?"

"I..." Wolf sniffed the air curiously, and Fox prayed that his rival couldn't smell how much this was affecting him. "I don't know. Fox, uh…"

"I have to go," Fox said. "I'll... later." He bolted towards the door, pushing past Wolf and closing it behind him. He heard Wolf's frantic "Wait!" but the thought of spending another second in the room just made him exit faster.

Questions buzzed in his head, but he didn't want to answer them because he was afraid of what the answers might be. Wolf's voice came through to the hall, barely audible, muffled by the thick door. "Dammit!" There was a loud crash, as if he'd thrown or kicked something, and a string of profanities followed.

A few seconds later, a low, ominous howl met Fox's ears, making him shiver. It wasn't often that a McCloud fled from a conflict, but Fox knew that for the moment, this one was completely beyond him. He'd worked himself into exactly the kind of personal problems he'd wanted to avoid.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

_The lake was one of the few places Fox could find solitude. Nestled in the wilderness, it was only half an hour's flight from Corneria City—far enough that few ever ventured this far, but close enough that visits were still plausible. But he found no solitude on this visit._

_The bear had just exited his own ship, looking out towards the lake as he took it in. He was portly in the way that most bears are, but he wore the weight well, and it was supported with plenty of muscle. His muzzle rarely went without a contagious grin, and now it spanned his entire muzzle. "That's pretty nice."_

"_Yeah." Now that he had the bear here, Fox wasn't sure what to say. He took a few steps towards him, but before he could say anything, the bear was looking back at him._

"_You come here often?"_

_Fox scratched his ears, a smile touching his own muzzle. "Uh, well. Not often, but… sometimes. When I need to be alone. Nobody really knows about this place."_

"_I feel honored to share your secret." The bear placed a heavy paw on Fox's shoulder, grin unfading._

_Fox took a step back. "Oh, no, it's nothing. I mean, we needed to take a break, and you've been learning fast enough that you've earned this."_

_The bear laughed. "I have a good teacher. Fox effin' McCloud, whooo." His paw moved to Fox's head, giving it a scratch between the ears._

_Fox chuckled in return. "Come here, you." He pulled the bear against him, settling his arms around the other in a gentle hug. The other felt surprisingly good against him, and eagerly returned the embrace. Fox's pulse was pounding._

_The bear was gently stroking his back as he said, "I like you."_

_The words made Fox's ears feel warm. "Sure it's not just because I'm famous?"_

_Fox could feel the bear's chest vibrate as he laughed. "Oh, no. That's just icing."_

_Fox bit his lip, giving the other's back a final pat before drawing away. "We should get back to Corneria," he said, walking towards his ship._

"_Alright." He didn't look back at the bear, but from the way he sounded, Fox knew that for once, he wasn't grinning._

_Have you ever looked in the mirror?_

Turning off the water and toweling himself off, Fox emerged from the shower. He normally wasn't one for afternoon rinses—a feline habit, he thought—but the day's events had left him feeling vile and unclean. The carrier only had communal showers, but he'd known they'd be empty at this time of day. It wasn't until he slammed the shower door shut that he realized that he really needed to calm down.

He'd known as early as the age of fourteen, when he first starting tutoring young pilots-to-be, that he didn't fawn exclusively over females. His masculine attractions remained just a guilty pleasure, because in context of all the gay celebrity scandals, just the thought of doing anything with a male made him nervous.

But his denying the attractions didn't make them any less real. Thinking of Wolf had always made his pulse race, but when he associated his rival with the rich masculine scent from the hotel, the strong arms holding him still, the taste of the older canine on his lips... he knew that from then on, his pulse would race for entirely different reasons, and that the racing would almost inevitably be accompanied by a certain swelling.

And Wolf was a damn good pilot, too.

As Fox passed by the sink, Wolf's remark about the mirror sprang to his mind. He peered into the reflective glass, and Fox McCloud looked back at him, his fur wet and askew. His chest was toned, arms muscular, stomach flat, and there was no denying that he was handsome. His comments to Falco earlier had been true; if he wanted sex, he'd never have to pay for it, because there would always be countless people offering. But he couldn't imagine one of them being Wolf.

Wolf had known James. Could that be it?

No, he decided. It couldn't be. Wolf and James? Preposterous. But that didn't have to mean that they did anything—just that Wolf had a thing for him. But that was still preposterous.

Or was it? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn't know anything about Wolf. They'd fought before, sure, but that had been the extent of their contact. The only way to get any answers would be to confront Wolf again.

_You're just looking for an excuse to do it_, said a sinister inner voice. The logical thing for him to do was to report the attempt on his life and ignore the attempt on his pants, but Fox had never been one for logic. The McCloud in him usually led him true, and now, it was telling him that he needed to handle this before it got out of hand.

But how?

Deciding not to think about that, he stepped into the dryer, taking his grooming kit with him. The kit's combs, designed for foxes, had longer bristles, and within a few minutes, the heat of the dryer had him all dry and he'd straightened most of his fur. He walked the short distance to his room garbed in the towel, dressed quickly, and then exited his room into the hallway.

He rode the elevator down to the floor with the walkway that led to the planet's surface. He mentally groaned when he saw Peppy lounging beside one of the windows, messing with his communicator. The hare grinned at him. "Hey, Fox."

The way Peppy was looking at him seemed almost omniscient. _Just keep calm_. "Hey."

"Where're you off to?"

"Out to the city."

Peppy _hrmm_ed, reaching up to bat at an ear. "We were probably all going to go eat soon. You coming?"

Fox glanced at his communicator and saw that it was only three. "Now?"

"Why not?" Peppy squinted at him. "We can beat the crowd."

He would've felt better about refusing if he could've come up with a better excuse than, "I have something else I need to do."

Peppy frowned at him, giving him a look that seemed deeply penetrating. "Not going to celebrate with us?"

Fox shook his head. "I need some more time to myself. Sorry." He tried to make himself sound sincere, but all he really wanted just then was for the conversation to end. Thinking about what he was about to do _(just a visit, that's all)_ in front of Peppy made him uneasy. "Really, I am."

He didn't feel like he'd done a good job persuading the hare, but Peppy shrugged and said, "Don't worry about it. It's up to you what you do."

Fox exited the ship with a sour taste in his mouth.

Fox McCloud hadn't born a member of Star Fox. In fact, he'd been part of many teams throughout his years, from academy dogfight clans to other mercenary bands that were still out there today, competing with Star Fox for their share of the market. He'd be lying if he said that Slippy and Peppy were the best pilots he'd ever worked with. He'd seen better than Falco, even. Fox's reputation of skill and speed gave him prominence in his career, but he was certain that it wasn't because of him alone that Star Fox was at the top.

If there was one thing he'd learned in his life as a mercenary, it would be that a Good Team is hard to qualify. If one were to take the four best pilots in all of Lylat and cram them all into one team, the result will probably be mediocre at best, easily falling to Star Fox, Star Wolf, or any of the other more dominant teams in the mercenary field.

The _experts_ would take it a bit farther and delve into team composition. You needed an ace—and that was true, always. That was your Fox McCloud or Wolf O'Donnell, the pilot that everyone was afraid of seeing, the one that supposedly carried their teams to victory. They called all the shots and got the biggest cut of the pay and the fame. Then you needed your pawns, the other members of the team who would specialize in dogfighting and do little other than follow the ace's command. Said experts would probably shake their head at how rarely Fox barked orders.

Of course, it would be silly to put a mechanic in the air, or put someone in the cockpit only weeks after they first saw a plane. Certainly old war veterans were better off teaching than continuing to hog the seat from younger, more capable pilots. And it would be foolhardy to bequeath a top-tier team to its old leader's son, especially if said son was still struggling with Chemistry in the academy.

Fox knew that everything you ever learned about team-building was total bullshit. There was only one rule to building a good team: _if it works, it works._

Star Fox had come to mean something to Fox in all the years. It meant sitting around with Slippy, getting snapped at when he handed the toad the wrong tool or input a faulty line of code. It meant chatting with Peppy about how that last fight went and laughing at all the stories the hare told about James. It meant dicking around with Falco over the billiards table in the Great Fox, trying to see how long they could go at it before one of them blew up in frustration at losing. It even meant awkward conversations with Krystal as they tried to figure out what to make of their lives.

It meant rising in ranks from being average to being superb just by virtue of finding the right group. It meant outdoing teams that were better without even trying.

Fox didn't want to lose that. But as much as he didn't want to admit it, it also meant fighting Wolf O'Donnell.

When Fox knocked on Wolf's door, he wasn't entirely sure he would get an answer, but he only had to wait for a few seconds before the door clicked and swung slightly ajar, letting the commanding silhouette of Wolf—arms crossed, single eye gleaming—enter into his view.

They locked eyes, competing to see who would be the first to look away. Fox was first, moving his eyes off to the side and watching as Wolf's frown deepened. "Huh," he said. "I'm surprised you came back, pup." He grunted. "Or are you just here to tease the fag?"

Fox put a paw in the door, and Wolf stepped back. "If you're trying to make me feel sorry for you, it's not gonna work."

Wolf opened his mouth, but eventually closed it and looked down, silent. He almost looked sad. Fox tried to peek into the room, but Wolf's bulky frame blocked his view. He couldn't smell any other scents, but he had to ask: "Is Panther here?"

"Of course he isn't. I could never deal with living in the same room as him."

"Does he know that you're..." He hated the words as soon as they were out, and Wolf must have too, because he sent Fox a venomous glare.

"Know that I'm what?"

Fox couldn't say it.

"Know that I'm gay?" Fox winced at the word, and Wolf laughed.

Fox felt like such an ass, but he couldn't stop himself from asking, "Who all knows, Wolf?"

"Really, I'm surprised _you_ didn't. Didn't you think my obsession with you was a bit strange?"

"I..." Fox took a step back. "Obsession?"

Wolf turned his back to Fox. "As much as I love giving away all my secrets to the security cameras, it'd be much more polite of me if I invited you in." He walked into his room and motioned for Fox to follow; Fox only hesitated for a second, feeling the sting of mockery, before complying. Part of him couldn't believe that he was doing this again, but overriding it was the part that wanted to hear more.

Wolf stopped in front of the bed and sat on it, motioning to the couch on the opposite side of the room. "But you hated me," Fox said as he seated himself.

"I guess. But why?"

"Because..." Fox felt his brow furrow, and he looked at Wolf. If Fox had been attracted to Wolf all these years, he probably would've hated him, too. Though now, looking at the other's lean, muscled figure…

"It's gotten to the point," Wolf said, "that now, every time I even think of you, I have to cover myself."

Fox felt his ears wilting, and he struggled to pull them up. "You're still as blunt as ever, I see."

If anything, the words made Wolf's grin widen a bit, though it faded when he said, "It's the truth."

"I don't believe it," Fox said.

Wolf scoffed, his gray ears flicking. "Jeez, Fox, is sucking someone's face off not enough to let him know you like him? I thought I came off pretty strong, but if you don't believe me, I could always pull down my pants and let you see with your own damn eyes how much I like you."

Fox couldn't help a cough. The words made him feel a bit warm, but he couldn't let Wolf in on it. "There's no way you're serious." Wolf having a crush on him just seemed too stupid—but he couldn't stop himself from completing his earlier thought, noting that things didn't seem so crazy the other way around. He wasn't particularly proud of the thought.

A minute passed before Wolf said, quietly, "You just don't realize how stupidly attractive you are." There was no hubris in his voice, only gentle sincerity.

Fox bit his lip, wondering how difficult it was for Wolf to say those words. A voice in his head was telling him to repeat those words right back at Wolf, but he couldn't obey it. We're supposed to hate each other, remember?"

"I thought you were the one telling me we didn't?"

"But we're rivals."

"Oh, right," Wolf said. He scoffed, rolling his purple eye to the side. "I forgot, my whole purpose in life is to be your rival. It's not like that doesn't, y'know, just make you even more attractive, or anything."

"Okay, okay!" Fox said. More than anything, he was frustrated with himself. "I get it. You want to fuck me. I believe you."

He'd said it angrily, but Wolf's muzzle lit up at the words, and soon the older pilot was laughing. The genuine sound wasn't something Fox had heard before, and he had a hard time keeping his temper so hot. He chuckled a few times, himself, feeling the corners of his mouth draw upwards.

"Yeah, you got it." Wolf said when he'd calmed. He still had a bemused tilt in his ears. "And you don't seem to be bothered by it."

Fox thought for a bit, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He wouldn't admit it, but knowing that his rival was infatuated with him made him feel pretty damn good. "I still don't know what to think, just yet." He took the opportunity to get up and move himself over to the bed with Wolf, sitting on its edge beside his rival.

Wolf grunted. "Well, maybe I can help." His muzzle moved in a little closer, and Fox jerked his own away. Fox's ears fell when he realized that it had only been a feint, an attempt to get a reaction out of him. Now Wolf was leering at him. "You," his rival said, pointing a finger at him, "enjoyed it, yesterday, pup."

Fox squirmed a bit. "Well…" He didn't know his rival was able to make him feel like this; a hundred enemy ships on his tail didn't make him feel this outplayed.

"Don't even try to deny it." Wolf's eye was piercing into him, and Fox couldn't meet it. "I didn't force you to do it back, or to moan into my mouth like you did."

"It... took me by surprise."

He'd almost been expecting Wolf to lean in, but the other just shook his head. "Surprise? Gods, you're so oblivious."

"When you like someone, you ask them on a date, not shove your tongue in their muzzle, okay?" Fox put a paw on Wolf's arm, feeling the smooth curve of the other's shoulder, but he couldn't keep it there for long before he had to pull it away and scoot back a bit. It still felt too weird, being this close to Wolf, and the globe of purple following each of his movements didn't make him feel any better.

"Because it's really that simple with us. Hell, I couldn't do that again now if you asked me to. Besides…" Whatever he'd been planning to say had died on his lips, but it showed in his downcast ears.

Fox raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

Wolf shook his head. He was trying to feign indifference, but he couldn't keep the tension from showing in his ears. "It's nothing."

"Don't give me that crap."

He looked like he was going to argue back, but finally, he sighed, frowning as he said, "I'm a dead man, Fox." Wolf's eye locked with Fox's. "If I don't kill you, they're going to kill me."

Fox blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. If I weren't gonna die, I wouldn't be telling you any of this, you know."

The words made Fox shiver. Pity and sympathy welled inside him; his rival now seemed much more human. "Can you explain?"

"It's complicated, and I don't want to talk about it."

Fox wanted to know more, but Wolf's cold tone warned him against it. "How long do you have?"

Wolf's words were quiet. "They gave me two weeks. Nine days ago.

"So, that gives us six days…" Problem was, Fox surmised, team Star Fox was likely to leave far before then—but he remembered Wolf's laugh from before, and the way his muzzle lit up at Fox's jokes, and decided not to tell him that just yet.

Wolf raised an eyebrow. "That gives _me_ six days."

"Us," Fox corrected. He scooted back on the bed, and adjusted so that he sat cross-legged on it, facing Wolf.

"Uh-huh." Wolf mimicked him, and now they faced each other. "And what exactly are _we_ going to do?"

"_We_," Fox said, pointing a finger at him, "are going to get Star Fox to take care of this little mess for us."

Wolf said without moving, "No."

Fox raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, no? We owe you, and we're gonna get you out of this."

"Number one," Wolf said, poking Fox in the chest as if mocking him, "Your team still hates me. Number two—look, I got myself into this mess, and I'll find a way to get myself out of it, alright? And if not, well, too bad for me. Got no one but myself to blame."

"But—"

"I swear, leave it. I don't want your help, pup."

"You're getting it whether you want it or not. But in the meantime, tell me, what _do_ you want, kit?"

Wolf's paw reached out, resting briefly on Fox's knee before pulling itself away. Though it felt weird having his rival touch him, he still missed the contact when it ended. "I guess it's too late to ask for the date, huh?"

If Fox were sitting in the Great Fox with his teammates, bantering with Falco about why the bird's last pick-up failed, or discussing with Slippy the perks of the toad's latest invention, Fox wouldn't have considered it. But something was telling him not to miss the chance, that if he didn't do this, he might never know what it was like with another male. And when Wolf's eye locked with his, it became impossible for Fox to refuse, even if he'd wanted to.

"Let's eat," he said. "But you're picking the place."

Laughing, Wolf patted him on the shoulder. "Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

_Day one_

Strolling the streets with Wolf O'donnell was one of the things that Fox had never considered doing before, and if he had, he'd probably have laughed at himself for thinking of it. Never would he have thought that only a few days after saving the System, he'd be side-by-side with Wolf as they walked through the lesser-visited streets of the city.

He felt guilty even when they were alone. It was stupid being out here in public with Wolf. It was stupid agreeing to come along. It was stupid to have found Wolf in the first place. But none of that mattered when Wolf pressed closer to him, when his lupine scent reached his nostrils and all Fox could think about was the feeling of Wolf against him in his apartment.

"You know," Fox said, letting his tail bat the other's, "you're the last person I'd have thought to be gay."

Wolf grunted, his eye looking over. "Why's that?"

Fox's paw found Wolf's shoulder, squeezing a bit. "Well, you're the most masculine male in the entire System. Plus—" He leered at Wolf. "You're a wolf. The whole purpose of your species' existence is to break hymens."

Wolf grinned. "You got that right. But you're not making any sense. You think I'm masculine, but that I like girly shit?"

"You blow shit up for a living. What's girly about that?"

Wolf shook his head, a smug grin on his muzzle. "Girls are girly. I don't like girly stuff, so why should I like girls?"

Fox laughed. "You're trying too hard."

"No, I'm serious. Why do all these males want something that dresses in pink lace?"

"Oh, come on. Have you ever _been_ with a female?"

"Pup, I've slept with females before." When Fox raised an eyebrow at him, he chuckled. "How else was I supposed to know if they'd turn me on?"

Fox snorted. "I've never slept with a female before, and I know they turn _me_ on."

Wolf cast him a surprised eye. He opened his mouth and almost said something, but they turned a corner onto a busier street, and it snapped back shut. A little annoyed, Fox increased the distance between them a bit. Though he was almost certain nobody was familiar enough with them outside of their ships to recognize them, he still didn't want to be seen with Wolf in public.

"There's the place," Wolf said, pointing to a diner: _Seaside Grill_. Fox wished he knew anything at all about the place, but since they were still dressed in casual clothes, he figured he could rule out classiness. Not that it bothered him; his favorite places in Corneria had always been the cheap diners with thick burgers you could find on every block.

"So, we just waltz in together?" Fox asked, looking curiously up at him.

"We'll rent a party room." Fox could swear he saw Wolf wink at him. "And we're just catching up, trying to make peace."

"Well," Fox said, "you did try to assassinate me yesterday."

Wolf's muzzle hardened. "Pup…"

Seeing the way Wolf looked away, the way his ears shifted downwards, Fox didn't need to hear his words to understand how he felt. "It's the past, kit. Just like Andross."

Wolf smiled, and Fox found himself mirroring it. "Come on," Wolf said, gesturing for Fox to follow him towards the entrance. "I'll buy you a free water." He pried the door open.

Fox snorted. He was headed towards the door, about to make a snarky comeback, when something caught his eye. "Ah, shit." He ducked back a bit.

Wolf raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Two large windows flanked the entrance to the diner, and peering inside, Fox could see his teammates crowded at a table near the center of the floorspace.

"We can't eat here."

Wolf released the door, letting it spring back into place. He went over to where Fox stood, eyes following Fox's paw to the younger pilot's teammates. They were huddled around the table, oblivious to the two outside. If only they knew, Fox thought.

"Then we'll find somewhere else." Wolf's eye met his, giving him a look that was both knowing and questioning. They'd have to talk about this. "There's no way in hell we're calling this off."

Fox nodded. "It's still your pick."

"Dammit."

He'd picked one of those moderately classy places, whose fanciness peaked in the napkin-in-lap tradition, but not in the pricetag. The waiter was a young male ferret who was impossibly polite, speaking in smooth tones about the dishes as he passed out the drinks. When he'd left with their orders, Fox stared at the wooden table and tried to think of something to say that wasn't quite lame enough that it would give away his secret, that this was the first time he'd ever done this.

Fox grunted. "This is too weird."

"No shit, you're telling me?" He leaned forward. "You know how much the guys would laugh if they ever caught me in a place like this?"

Fox relaxed a bit, sensing that maybe he wasn't the only one out of his element. "Is that a complaint?"

Wolf held up his paws. "Are you stupid? Trust me, I've had lots of people try to drag me to places like these before."

"I'm sure," Fox said, and he enjoyed seeing the way Wolf's ears perked up when he said it.

"How about you?"

Fox rested his chin in his paws, good manners be damned. "Just one."

"Krystal?"

He shook his head. They were treading into dangerous territory. "Fara. We broke up a long time ago. I'm not with Krystal anymore, and before you ask, no, I've never been with a male, either."

"Oh?" Wolf's eye lit up. "I don't believe this. Are you telling me that Fox McCloud is a _virgin_?"

Fox rolled his eyes, trying to mask the embarrassment, more because he felt he shouldn't be embarrassed than anything else. "Oh, please, if I were in a hurry, I would've lost it when I was twelve."

He'd been expecting some snarky remark, but all he got was a shrug and a "Relax, it's not like I get a Service Medal for screwing a whore or two."

That was when he realized that he really was clueless. He was nearly thirty and just on his first date, sitting at a table with a wolf he barely knew, who'd squeezed his windpipe to kill not even a day ago.

He scooted forward in his chair. "Wolf, we need to talk."

Wolf hesitated, the concern on his muzzle making Fox's pulse pick up. "Sure. Go ahead."

He took in a breath, trying to get the words to sound right in his head. "What do you want from this?"

"I thought you were the one with all the answers." The words were slow and calculated.

Fox sighed. "I mean, walking around Kana with you is fun, but does it mean anything?"

Wolf almost looked hurt. "It means something to me."

The sound of Wolf's deep voice uttering those words made him squirm in his chair. "Gods, I feel like an asshole. I mean, what are you looking for from me? All you told me was that you wanted to…" He let Wolf fill in the blank.

It felt wrong—you aren't supposed to talk about these things in a relationship, you just let them happen. But Wolf took it in stride, shaking his head and saying, "Are you suggesting that you would have a problem with that arrangement?"

The almost electric sexual energy was impossible to ignore; just the thought of being with Wolf made his groin tingle. "No," he said after a minute. "I guess not."

"Me either." Wolf reclaimed his paw. "But I don't think that's what either of us wants."

Fox didn't want a relationship, especially with a male, especially with his old rival, but none of that mattered when Wolf grasped his paw again and met his eye. Even the simple contact sent the sparks flying, and Fox couldn't give this kind of feeling up for anything.

"No," Fox said. "It's not."

They unclasped paws in time for the waiter to bring out the food. As Fox cut into the steak, he wondered what he'd gotten himself into.

Outside, the city was dark, cold, and oddly enough, quiet. Fox, used to the drone of traffic and electronics ever-present in Corneria City, delighted in the silence, but he had to pull his thin jacket more tightly against him to stave off the cold. The old-fashioned street lights gave off an incandescent glow that bathed the streets in golden light; through those streets, Fox and Wolf walked side-by-side. An overweight tiger was their only other company on the streets, and he was walking in the opposite direction, waving at them as they passed.

Once said tiger passed out of earshot, Fox stepped a bit closer. "So, what happens now?"

Wolf's voice came back in a whisper. "What do you mean? If you want to go out again…"

"Of course we're going out again. Tell me more about what you were talking about earlier, about Zenith."

Wolf stood still and fixed his eye on Fox. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I trust you, Fox, and I'm not worried for my life anymore, but I don't want to ruin this right now."

Fox's paw found Wolf's neck, rubbing it. "You couldn't if you tried. I just need to know what's going on."

Wolf let out a sigh. "Okay, fine. Simple, if I don't come back with your head, they're gonna come get mine. They didn't like how I handled you at Sargasso, and wanted reparations, so they sent me after you. That's all you need to know."

Fox paused for a moment to take that in. "What about Star Wolf? I mean, won't they be able to protect you?"

"I have no idea," he said. His paw found Fox's shoulder. "Panther and Leon got off free, so I just told them to scram. But I'm not complaining. I'm…" He pulled it away. "I'm shit at this romantic crap. Gods."

Fox knew he wasn't going to get anywhere if he kept asking, so he went along with Wolf, laughing and saying, "You're cute when you're clueless."

"Hey," Wolf said with mock indignance, "I'm not cute. I'm sexy."

Fox chuckled. "Come on. We should get back to my ship."

"The Great Fox is still kicking?" Wolf met his strides, walking at his side.

"No. We're in a military carrier."

"Damn. That sucks."

"You're telling me. At least they're repairing our ships for us."

Wolf nodded. "So, uh. Do they know I'm here, yet?"

"No."

"Uh-huh." A single finger poke into Fox's shoulder. "And do they know that you like dick?"

Fox grunted. "Let's just say you're an exception to the rule."

"Well, where the hell do they think you're going, then? It's almost eight, you know."

Fox brought his communicator up to his muzzle. "Hey, team," he said. "Sorry I missed dinner, I had a hot date with Wolf O'Donnell."

He kept a straight face throughout, but when Wolf started howling with laughter, he couldn't help joining in. When he regained the ability to breathe, he said, "I'm not worried about them right now. I'll tell them. Promise."

Looking around, he saw that the façades of the city were becoming more and more familiar, and at one point they passed a sign pointing them to the Dock. Falco had wanted to use the expensive Stargate Bay, of course, but Fox hadn't seen any point in it; now, however, he wished they had, just so that the walk would have been longer. Soon enough, the shadowy silhouette of the dock came into view, the carrier towering above it, and in a manner of minutes, they were upon it.

"Well," Wolf said, "there goes one of my six free days. And if I spend the rest of 'em just like this, I'll die a happy wolf." He said it almost mockingly, with a teasing eye cast over at Fox.

"You're not going to die," Fox said. "I'll make sure of that."

"How the times have changed from back when we just wished each other would go die in a fire."

He almost said, _I never wanted you dead_, but Wolf's almost playful look stopped him. "You've changed," he muttered.

"No." Wolf stepped a bit closer, and Fox caught a whiff of his scent. "You never knew me."

The older canine's muzzle was inches away from Fox's. The younger pilot wanted to close the distance between their muzzles, but the looming structure in the distance reminded him of the risk of being seen. He took a step towards the dock and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Disappointment flickered in Wolf's visage and ears, but he was quick to mask it. "Alright. I'll..." He fake-coughed, stepped away, and scratched his ears. "When?"

"Uh..."

Wolf gave him a lopsided grin, a sharp canine peeking out under his lip. "I'll be there all day, so just drop by or call whenever, if you're interested."

"Of course I am." Fox took another step towards the dock, but his resolve was wavering. He cast a glance up at the ship again, gauging the distance. They'd never know who he was. "I'll see you then, and... oh, fuck it."

He'd doubted Krystal when she'd told him he needed to find someone. He'd wondered what the big deal was, why it was so important that he must have an intimate friend. When he threw his arms around Wolf and hugged the older canine to him, he knew she was right. When he felt Wolf's arms close around him, he knew she was right. And when they pulled apart and met muzzles for a kiss…

Fox had thought he'd be ready for this—after all, he'd done it before. But it was no less euphoric, no less erotic this time through. He'd kissed Krystal before, but those pecks were a poor comparison with the burning passion he felt now, rushing through his body and consuming all else. So exhilarating that it was almost frightening.

When they pulled away, Fox was lightly panting. "Jeez, Wolf."

"What's the matter?" Wolf taunted. "Never kissed before, either?" His paws had found Fox's rear, and surprisingly, Fox didn't mind. It didn't feel _naughty_ like when he'd done it to Krystal before, but natural.

"Not like that." He reached down to feel the base of Wolf's tail, and found it wagging. He grinned. "I'm gonna need a lot of practice."

Wolf's nose touched his. "Any time you want."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

_Day two, part one_

Peppy woke to Lylat's rising. He turned on his other side to get the glare out of his eyes, but his ribs protested the movement, sending a spike of pain throughout his body. Several minutes and curses later, he'd managed to pull himself up, shifting over until he was sitting on the bed's edge.

Towel in paw, he headed towards the communal showers. When he stepped inside the floor's washroom, he saw Slippy inside already, towel wrapped around his wet body as he began heading back to his room. The toad gave him a wave, and Peppy responded with a grunt.

Twenty minutes later, he was dry and dressed, and headed towards the mess hall. The carrier's mess hall was too large, making the hare feel small. He had to dig through several cabinets before he was able to find something that he'd eat.

By the time he'd microwaved the package, Falco had stepped in to join him. The bird mimicked his confused dance around the room, eventually finding a box of Katina Krunch, filling a bowl with the cereal and sitting down to eat.

"Hey old man," Falco said after a while. "What's on the agenda today?"

Peppy shrugged. "Whatever you want it to be." He took a bite from one of his pancakes, and the gray images from last night replayed in his head. "I've got a date with a fine-lookin armchair."

"Yeah? I hear there's a great club down on Cherry, and there's a few sweet places I want to eat."

Just a few. Not like the grand city, where there were tons of clubs, and a pawful of cheap restaurants on every street. "Don't you miss Corneria?"

Falco nodded. "I mean, you can't beat what they got in Corneria, but this place is cool."

"What they had, you mean."

Falco's expression drooped. "Yeah. I guess I do. Shit, that's gonna take some getting used to. They better not have blown up Mora's."

The door slid open and admitted Fox, his fur still a bit ruffled. Falco grinned at his captain as the canid tried to find something he could eat in the foreign pantry. "Have fun last night?"

Fox started. "Yeah, I guess." He looked a bit frustrated, and shut the cabinet he'd been searching through with a sigh. "I'm gonna steal your cereal, Falco." The bird gave a short grunt in response, and soon Fox had filled another bowl with the stuff and joined them at the table.

"How 'bout you guys? Where'd you end up going?"

"Some burger joint," Falco said. "'scuse me, some _awesome_ burger joint. Where were you?"

Fox took another spoonful of cereal in before answering. "I just... had something else I needed to do."

Peppy thought about what he'd seen last night, the two silhouettes framed by darkness. "Are you seeing someone?"

Fox's eyes snapped open, and he looked over at the hare, looking a bit embarrassed. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just wondering. I thought I saw someone else with you when you came in last night, but I guess my eyes are just old."

"Yeah," Fox said, looking pointedly at Peppy. "They probably are."

"Come on," Falco said, a bit of milk dribbling down his chin, "it's fine as long as you didn't get her pregnant."

Fox let out a bark of laughter. "What? We didn't—" He frowned, realizing that he'd walked right into that one. It was so rare to see Fox flustered that every time it happened, it made the hare laugh.

Falco waved his spoon at Peppy. "See? I knew it was a girl, and it's about time. Thought you'd never get over Krystal."

Fox was shaking his head. "Hey, it was nothing. We'll probably never even see each other again, really… and there was nothing for me to get over, really." He paused to slurp a bit of the milk from his bowl, and when he set the dish back on the table, he grinned. "'sides, I can't get someone pregnant if it's not a vixen." He put a slight inflection on the last word.

Falco shifted in his chair, smirking as he leaned towards Fox. "Oho, dating outside your species now, are you?"

"Only canids," he said with a smug grin.

"Why?" Falco's wings went to his chest, fanning out over his clothed, wannabe pecs. "Canids are smaller here."

"I like 'em small." Fox paused a moment to stuff a couple spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth. "And you try getting a non-canid used to male canid anatomy. We need a lot of room."

Falco rolled his eyes. The two made small talk for the remainder of the meal. Generation made no difference on the conversation topics between close friends, it seemed; the hare remembered similar conversations between James and himself back in the day when such things had interested him a lot more than they did now. It seemed that now all he ever talked about what business, and he hated himself for it. Peppy finished his food before either of the others, grabbing a mug of Titanian coffee and turning to face them as he drank it.

"By the way," he said, "none of you kids watch the news, do you?"

Falco shook his head and kept chewing. Fox looked a bit sheepish, waiting to finish his current mouthful. "What are they saying about us _now_?"

"You're usually pretty up on current affairs."

The canine stood, taking his bowl over to the sink. He seemed flustered about something. "I know, but I don't know if I want to deal with the media now."

Peppy nodded, sipping from his cup. "Then you'd probably like to know that Wolf O'Donnell is in Kana."

Fox froze, lips pulling into a tight frown. "I knew it."

"I'm not surprised that he's alive," Peppy said. "But in Kana?"

"Yeah." Fox crossed his arms, thinking. "And if he's alive, that means the rest of them are, too."

"Just be careful," Peppy said. "Maybe you shouldn't go out alone."

Falco grunted. "Yeah, better watch your back."

Fox laughed, though Peppy didn't see the humor in the situation. "Oh, come on. Worry about yourselves."

"Alright. Just letting you know." The hare finished off his mug and set it in the sink. Soon after, he bade them a good day and left.

He knew it wasn't his business, but he wondered who the lucky girl was. Krystal would know. Though they'd got it all out of their leader eventually, he didn't like the way Fox had avoided the topic.

Krystal came to the door when he knocked. "Peppy?" she asked. "Do you need something?"

"I want to talk to you," he said. "About Fox."

She pursed her lips. "Why don't you come in, then?"

Another omen, he knew, but he went in nonetheless, and the heavy artificial scent of Cerinian flowers assaulted his nostrils. At least, that's what she told him the scent was; he'd never smelled anything like it, so he was quick to believe her.

They both sat on the edge of Krystal's bed, and the vixen spoke first. "What's this about? Has there been a problem?"

"What's going on with Fox?" Peppy said. She didn't respond, so he looked at her and saw that she was staring straight ahead and appeared to be biting her lip. "Is it something I should be worried about?"

"I don't want to out his personal business," she said. "Maybe it's something that he wants to keep to himself."

Peppy grunted. "I don't see why he would. That's the thing." He felt that he was being a bit unfair, so he added, "Unless there's something he's trying to hide."

"Peppy, if he wants you to know, he will tell you himself. I can be of no help to you." He was about to protest when she continued, " He may just be a little… shaken by our split."

"So it's true?" She didn't say anything, so he continued. "I can't see why. You two seem perfect for each other."

The weight on the bed shifted as Krystal stood. "Perhaps a bit too perfect. But I will talk to him. I'll see if I can persuade him."

"Alright." He smiled at her, and followed her out the door.

* * *

Lying prone on his bed, Fox toyed with the buttons on his communicator. He'd looked up Wolf's number a while back, and now he kept highlighting it and almost calling it. Every once in a while, he'd flip back to the calendar. Underneath tomorrow's date, a new addition added that very morning read _Departure for Corneria_.

"Who are you calling?"

Krystal's voice startled him, and he jumped. Though Krystal knew the combination to his room (and would know it again as soon as he changed it), she usually knocked out of courtesy. And might've known she was coming if he hadn't been so distracted.

"Nobody," he said, but he knew it was pointless. He tried to banish thoughts of Wolf from his mind, but he knew it was too late. In the silence that followed, he knew that she knew that he knew she knew about Wolf. And it frustrated him, making him grit his teeth, preparing a witty comeback for whatever Krystal could throw at him.

"Peppy talked to me," she said. Her voice was calm, and it soothed him a bit, deadening his rage. She was standing in the doorway, an arm up against it, with a pensive expression on her muzzle. "He wants to know what you did last night."

"I figured," Fox said, surprising himself with how resigned he sounded. "Why is it his business?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Krystal said. Her brow furrowed. "You've got him worried."

He continued toying with his communicator to give the impression of disinterest, not responding, privately thinking of a thousand reasons not to tell Peppy. But he was almost sure that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Where do you plan to go with this, Fox?"

He knew what she was talking about even though she didn't specify. He was dimly aware of himself asking the same question to Wolf last night, and out of habit, he gave Wolf's answer: "I don't know. It's too crazy to go anywhere."

"But you want it to." She gave him a sad, knowing smile.

"I'm just doing what my instincts tells me to—isn't that what Peppy always told me, anyway?" The confidence in his words, he knew, would be betrayed by the questioning gaze he gave her. "If that's wrong, or if it means I _do_ want it to go somewhere…" He trailed off, giving a low growl.

While he spoke, Krystal had approached him, and now her spicy scent tickled his nostrils. She put a paw on his shoulder, and he looked up at her. "This is a big part of you," Krystal said. "Star Fox needs to know about it, or they'll find it out on their own."

Fox frowned, looking away. He'd expected chastisement, and now he didn't know to react. This was exactly why he always had so much trouble being close to her, because she always knew exactly what to do to get a reaction out of him. "I know. I just wish I could deal with one problem at a time instead of four all at once."

"You could've done it earlier," Krystal said. "It would've saved you a lot of trouble."

"I know, but… you know, it never occurred to me. It never mattered until now—I mean, I like girls." He let out an uncharacteristic whine. "Gods, I can't believe I'm talking about this."

Krystal drew in a deep breath. "Just think about what I've said, okay? You don't have to comatize everyone, but maybe it would be a good idea to tell Peppy."

"Look, Krystal... I don't know if this is going to last. That's the thing. You should've heard Peppy and Falco this morning, telling me to be careful, because Wolf O'Donnell is out on the prowl, looking to slit my throat."

"He almost did."

"And I can never tell them that." He growled, clenching his fists. "And we're leaving tomorrow, and Wolf doesn't know about it, and I was supposed to tell them all that he was here, and I didn't, and…"

Krystal rested a paw on his back, gently rubbing. It was soothing, sure, but he wished it were Wolf's, instead—and when he caught himself thinking that, it just made him more frustrated at himself. "Try to keep yourself calm. I thought you enjoyed your night out, Fox."

"Gods, yes, but if I have to give up Falco, Peppy, and Slippy to do it again, I don't know if it's worth it." He met her eyes. "I'm just glad you're okay with it. Thanks."

She smiled. "I like seeing you happy, Fox. You weren't this happy with me."

Fox grinned sheepishly. "It's not your fault."

Her paw went up to his head, scratching between his ears. "I know, you silly fox. Don't apologize."

Fox said nothing, continuing to let her massage his head. When she pulled her paw away, he said, "I think I need some time to myself, to think."

"Alright. Just remember, you can always talk to me."

"Yeah, yeah, Mom."

When she left, her words bounced around in his head for a while, and the more he thought about them, the more he began to feel a bit nauseated. Seeking reprieve, he returned to the communicator, now with less hesitation. When he dialed the number, he didn't have to wait long before a holographic image of Wolf floated before him.

"Hi, pup."

He was surprised at how much hearing and seeing Wolf calmed him. Feeling the corners of his mouth upturn, Fox said, "Hey, kit," but then he remembered his original reason for calling Wolf. He drew in a deep breath. Wolf had to know they were leaving tomorrow, and he had to know it now. Before Fox could get the words out, though, Wolf's deep voice came through again.

"You up for something?"

"Sure," he said automatically. He meant to correct himself, but Wolf beat him to it again.

"Want to come over in about thirty minutes? We could go for a swim. Hotel's got a nice private beach, deserted right now."

Fox bit his lip. If he told Wolf now, he would surely call off his plans. If the next day would bring an end to their relationship, then Fox deserved to enjoy it while he could.

So he said, "I'd like that."


	6. Six

**Chapter 6**

* * *

_Day two, part two_

The Oriental Suites, as it turned out, privately-owned a small, barred-off strip of beach, and it was onto that land that Fox had just emerged, Wolf at his side. The midday sun tinged the beach with a golden glow, and the Zonessian Ocean gleamed with a deep blue unmatched by any body of water Fox had seen before. Each crash of the waves brought a barrage of cetaceous scents, foreign but not unpleasant.

"Quite a place," Fox said.

"You like?"

"Mmhm." Looking around, he could only see two others on the beach—a vulpine couple—but they were too occupied with each other to notice Fox and Wolf. Besides, since the two pilots weren't wearing their flight uniforms, the only way to recognize them would be an up-close view, a luxury Fox didn't plan to give to the couple.

No, this place was safe. Fox looked up at the other, who had already been looking down at him. Fox felt Wolf's paw bat up against his, and in response, he clutched the it in his own, giving it a light squeeze, and together they walked toward the ocean, clad in loose overshirts and swim trunks.

Those shirts came off when they reached the shore. When Fox stepped in, he found that the water, while not warm, was not uncomfortably cold. The salty water made his fur feel thick, but he knew it was nothing a quick shower couldn't fix.

Wolf was slower getting in, so Fox splashed the older canine a few times, and that ended with them dunking each other and fighting underwater, only to come up seconds later gasping for air. Wolf's paw went up to wipe the moisture off his cybernetic eye, growling a bit in frustration because his paw, too, was wet.

Fox had been laughing the whole time. Wolf scowled at him, indignant at first, but the then his toothy grin emerged.

"Man," Fox said. "You aren't as strong as I thought. How the heck did you pin me?"

Wolf grinned at him. "I don't want to hurt you, pup."

"Sure. That's it."

"I don't need to prove myself to you!" His voice was strong, but he was still smiling.

"Yeah-huh." He pointed a finger at Wolf. "How about all those times I shot you down?"

"You little..." Wolf waded towards Fox. "I'll get you for that."

"Like you just got me a minute ago, right?" Fox swam in the opposite direction, taking care not to go out too far. "Like you got me in the Wolfen, all those times?"

"Bah, you—"

At that, Fox ducked underwater. He swam for a bit beneath the surface, and when he resurfaced, he emerged in front of Wolf.

"You were gonna do what, now?" Fox said. He stood inches from Wolf and pressed as closely as he could to the other, trying not to let his actions convey the nervousness he felt. He let one paw come to rest on Wolf's shoulder and used the other to wipe off Wolf's eyepiece, which had fogged over again. Up-close, the stench of wet fur wasn't quite as bad as he'd thought it would be, and was mostly dominated by the plethora of sea-scents and by Wolf's own musky scent.

"Mmm." Wolf looked back at him, his eye appraising. "I don't remember. But you're giving me all kinds of ideas, involving a sturdy bed and a certain fox who can't sit for a week."

"Oh, really?" Fox leaned in closer, dropping his voice. "Who said I'd be the one limping?" Feeling brave, Fox brought his lips close to Wolf's nose.

The other pulled back, though. "What about them?" His eye pointed in the direction of the vulpine couple.

"They aren't looking," Fox said. "He's practically got his paw in her bikini." He pressed his lips to the other's nose, heard Wolf laughing underneath him, then a wave of warmth radiated through his body as Wolf kissed him.

They drifted for a while. The sunlight beamed down on the beach, reflecting in brilliant prismatic shimmers off the water. For the moment, Fox could think of no greater pleasure than the feel and smell of the ocean and the feel and smell of Wolf beside him_._ His problems were still there, but here with Wolf, they were muted.

Wolf was the one to break the silence. He looked down at Fox, smirked, and said, "I couldn't ask for a better day."

And with that, like the gentle touch sending fine china falling to its doom, Fox's mood shifted. Not too much later, they'd retired from the ocean, had rinsed at the showers, and lay side-by-side on the beach. Lylat beamed down on them, intense enough to begin drying their fur, but not so much as to disturb them.

All the better; Fox's own failings disturbed him enough on their own.

* * *

The walk from the Oriental back to the Starport was something Fox was familiar with. Had it been later, when the sky was dark and the streets less crowded, he might have grabbed Wolf's paw and held it as he walked, but as it was, he was content to walk beside the other. Every so often, he would glance over, and a few times he caught Wolf looking back at him. On those occasions, the older canine would look away, feigning nonchalance, and Fox would internally laugh. He couldn't help feeling as if he were somehow above the rest of the world.

Running contrary to that feeling was the knowledge that they drew ever-closer to the Dock and to their separation—one of their final separations, if not the last one. Thinking about that made icy needles of apprehension prick his skin. Fox glanced over at the other, and he saw a slight upturned crook in the corners of Wolf's mouth. He didn't want to take away the only trace of happiness he'd seen in the other—but wasn't that attitude what had gotten him into this situation in the first place?

He walked in silence for a while until, looking up, he could see the looming front of the Starport. He remembered Peppy's reaction to seeing another figure with him when he'd last come back, so he forced himself to speak, his heart already racing.

"Hey."

"Hrm?"

He looked away as he said it. "I'll walk the rest of the way on my own."

Just that quickly, the half-smile was gone, replaced with a half-frown and a slow blink. "You still haven't told them?"

The speed at which his rival's mind worked still amazed him. "Krystal knows... but no, I haven't."

"Well, why not?"

"It's difficult," Fox said. Out came the childish, "I don't know what they'd say," and it sounded twice as lame as he'd expected it to.

Wolf growled, and Fox regretted the words immediately. "Come on, really? They'll accept anything you tell 'em. It's their _job_, Fox."

He was almost able to believe Wolf, but he knew that wasn't how Star Fox operated. "Peppy won't," he said. Wolf kept the same stubborn look, so Fox decided to steer the conversation away. "Have you told Star Wolf?"

Wolf shook his head. "No. But I haven't talked to them yet, and I will when I see them. If I see them."

"Uh-huh." Fox nodded his head.

"But"—Wolf gestured towards the Skyport and the Great Fox—"_they're_ right there. All you have to do is tell them. Heck, I could go in with you if you want. I'll tell 'em for you."

"No," Fox said, taking a step away from Wolf. He could feel every thud of his heart hammering against his ribcage. "Just no. I'm not ready for that."

"Why?" Wolf responded to the step with two of his own, holding out a paw in Fox's direction, as if to emphasize a point. "You ashamed of me, or something?"

"No, it's just..." He let out a puff of air he hadn't realized he'd taken in. "Dammit, Wolf, they were just telling me this morning to watch my back, because the Big Bad Wolf might be coming to kill me."

Wolf didn't look surprised. His ears went actually went forward a bit, and he looked a little relieved. "Hey, if that's all this is about, we can change their minds about me, Fox. I'm not out to kill anyone anymore. It won't be easy, but…"

Fox bit his lip as he watched Wolf rummage in his pocket. "Here," the older canine said. He'd grasped something in his paw, and now he held it out for Fox to see.

"Your old eyepatch?" He reached out to touch it, but Wolf pressed it into Fox's paw, the worn leather cold in his grasp. Fox felt as if he were missing something.

"Andross gave it to me," Wolf said. "I want to give it to you."

Fox clenched his paw a bit harder around the token, his throat feeling a little tighter than normal.

Wolf was grinning as he narrowed the distance between them, but Fox couldn't meet his eye. "I'm done being the bad guy—hell, I never wanted to be one in the first place." His now-empty paw latched onto Fox's shoulder. "Come on. We can fly together, now, pup."

Fox could feel his ears clinging to his skull in shame. He gripped the eyepatch hard in his paw, unable to meet the other's eyes. "Wolf, we're leaving tomorrow."

Now Wolf took a step back, eye stretched wide in disbelief, ears cast straight forward. "What?"

"I meant to tell you earlier, but every time I tried, you started saying something, or asked me to do something, and I didn't want to interrupt what time we had. I didn't want to drive you off and..." He realized he was babbling and stopped talking.

A deep, throaty growl came from the other. His chest collapsed a bit when he exhaled, and Fox burned in face of his disappointment. "Well, now you've done it anyway."

Fox shut his eyes for a few seconds. "Wolf—"

"Dammit, I don't know what to think, now." The hurt was plain on his muzzle, making his expression droop. "You were just going to leave me without saying anything?"

"I—no, I didn't mean to. I just couldn't find the right time—"

"And weren't you the one who suggested we just fuck around with each other, no strings attached?"

_I only mentioned it because I was afraid that was how you were thinking_, he wanted to say. But at this point, Fox was afraid that if he ever started talking, he would start crying. And he wasn't going to cry around Wolf, or anyone, ever.

"I knew it was too good to be true, that McCloud actually cared about me. Whatever." He started to turn his back on Fox. "I'm too pussy to shoot myself, so I'm gonna go wallow in my room until Zenith comes by to pick me off."

As he muttered those last words, he started walking. The final sentence echoed in the younger pilot's head, stinging from the inside out. _Do something_, Fox's mind was screaming, _are you crazy just letting him walk off like that?_

Fox didn't have the strength or willpower to do anything. He stood there watching until Wolf disappeared from view, never once looking back, and the rest of Fox's journey to the Great Fox become a blur as he lost himself in his thoughts.

After gulping down all the sleep aids he could find and shoving the eyepatch under his pillow, the last thing he remembered was reaching up to wipe the moisture out of his eyes, clutching the pillow and imagining it padded with soft gray fur.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

_Day three_

The next day brought Fox little comfort. He half-woke early, but lay in his bed for a few hours before dragging himself up. The clock at his bedside read **10:38** in fire-red numerals, and he knew the departure was scheduled for 1500 hours. He sat on the corner of his bed, resting his head in his paws. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, only knew that the clock raced inexorably towards three PM, the scheduled departure time, and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

Sighing, he went to shower, but the feel of the water on his fur reminded him of the beach from yesterday. He didn't wash much, but stood to the side and let the water cascade onto him, trying not to think about _the lupine scent, the glint of purple; the way his fur matted with salt-water and his eyepiece fogged over, the lewd jokes that made Fox's sheath tingle._

When the water ran cold, he stepped out of the shower, still dripping. The mirror gleamed at him from across the room. Fox McCloud leered back at him—but no, it wasn't Fox McCloud. The fox in the mirror looked older and tired, his features drooping. Grunting, Fox stepped into the dryer, and he was on a high platform amidst a devastated Corneria city, his Arwing only feet in front of him. As he leapt for it, it exploded, and a swarm of aparoids surrounded him. He cursed his luck and prepared for the worst, but—but he saw an ominous red ship appear on the horizon.

Moments later, he was sitting on that ship's wing, feeling the rush of the air through his fur. Like an idiot, he said, "Wolf, what are you doing here?"

"If anyone's gonna tan your hide, it's gonna be me."

The meaning behind Panther's _hmph_ and Leon's _Riiiight_ escaped him completely. They were making fun of him because they knew, but Fox didn't know that; all he could do was say, "Wolf..."

"Wipe that stupid grin off your mug; we're not through here yet." Fox hadn't realized he'd been smiling. "You're on my Wolfen now, Fox. Don't disappoint me."

Those words sparked a fire in his chest. When he gripped the plasma cannon and took aim at the aparoids, he knew he wasn't going to disappoint. He didn't note how frequently Wolf warned him or peppered him with terse compliments; he was too concerned with the battle to hear the subtle concern and admiration expressed in those words. When it was over, after Fox's awkward thanks and Wolf's more awkward, ironic assertion that he didn't come to save the younger pilot, an awkward silence stretched between them.

Still on the ship, Fox dangled his feet off the edge of a wing, his eyes cast downward. He didn't know what to think of Wolf anymore. Impulsive hatred still lingered within, but thankfulness quelled it. The battle had eased tensions between the teams, Fox thought; he'd gotten a few sparse compliments from Leon and Panther, and a few of his teammates had done the same for Wolf. Slippy had even asked to be given a ride on-board the Wolfen, earning him a brusque "Quit your croaking, toady."

He was still mulling that over when he heard Wolf say, "So how long you plan on taking up space on my wing?"

For reasons he didn't understand, that stung Fox, and he blushed slightly through his restraint. "Uh, um..." He vaulted off the wing a little quicker than was necessary and, unprepared, shuddered at the jolt when he landed. He could've sworn he heard a suppressed, throaty chuckle come from Wolf's end of the comm, and when Fox stood and saw Wolf's head through the tinted glass of the ship, he bore an amused expression as if he'd just laughed. Somehow, Fox was smiling too.

Fast forward to the warp gate outside Corneria, or the aparoid tunnel, and it was always Wolf who rode in like the hero Fox was supposed to be, taking out missiles when there were too many for the younger pilot, or distracting the Queen's guards so the team could enter her chamber, or spurring Fox to action inside said chamber. All the while, Wolf knew it was kill Fox or die.

Prior to that, Fox had seen Pigma, cried "Star Wolf!" and raided Sargasso, destroying the base and subsequently ruining the rest of Wolf's life.

He'd never apologized.

He replayed their first walk on Zoness. Wolf had been beside him; they'd been strolling down the streets in their search for a decent restaurant, the Zoness air ripe with tropical scents. Wolf looked happier than Fox had ever seen him. Had it really only been two days ago? It seemed like an eternity had passed since then. The memory stood as a picturesque oasis amidst a blur of inactivity.

His eyes were becoming tight. Dimly, he registered that he would look ridiculous after this, fur sticking up everywhere because he hadn't brought a brush. Even if he had one, he knew he wouldn't have used it. He didn't feel like doing anything except existing. He wasn't sure that was possible anymore.

His fur wasn't half-dry, but he'd had all he could take. Still wet, he made it back to the bed and sank down, clutched a pillow to his muzzle, and sniffled. That was when he realized that the eyepatch was still underneath said pillow.

He couldn't hold it back any longer; he sobbed into the pillow. Pathetic, he knew, but the thought only intensified his emotion, made his claws tear into the pillow.

It wouldn't be so bad if what had happened wasn't entirely his own fault. If he hadn't just taken Wolf's already terrible life, toyed with it for a few brief moments, and stomped it into the ground. Fox had wrecked his own life, killed Wolf, and in four hours, he'd depart for a celebratory banquet in his honor.

_Way to go. Some hero you are._

* * *

_Two ships limped behind him on a single wing, flanking him. Asteroids spanned as far as the eye could see, the only constant save for the eerie darkness of space. Navigating through the field should have been simple, but with the broken wings and shield, he found it quite a challenge._

_He rode for what felt like hours before he found the base, an imposing, metallic structure that bore an eerie resemblance to his old place. He and his two companions docked in the repair bay and took the once-familiar, now-distant paths to the executive office._

_He entered said room alone and found guards on both sides of him. The scent of pot and weasel tickled his nostrils, but the guards were ursine. The source of the smells sat in an ExeCo desk in the room's center, raising an eyebrow at him in half-interest._

"_I heard about what happened. " The weasel grinned at him, and the grin said, _Finally come crawling back to me, have ya_? On the wall above the weasel, a pastel banner was mounted on the wall. Emblazoned on it were a logo representing the base and the words _Zenith Enterprises. _His gaze lingered there for a few seconds, then turned down to the weasel._

"_It just so happens that I've got a deal to make you."_ _ The weasel twirled a pencil around a finger. He heard the rustling of the guards behind him as he listened to the weasel's offer, contemplating it for only a minute before voicing his grudging acceptance, the taste of impending vengeance sweet on his tongue._

_The weasel laughed, his muzzle unforgiving. "Oh, you don't have a choice. You got two weeks, kid, or you're ours."_

* * *

Noon sunlight poured in through the windows, illuminating Fox's room. The clock read _12:32_. It hadn't felt like he'd lain here that long—maybe he'd fallen asleep? He certainly felt refreshed; the sorrow from before was gone, replaced by a distinctly McCloud determination to do something about it.

The first thing he did was to sit up and wipe the remaining moisture out of his eyes. He had to stop that, first of all. Whining wouldn't get him anywhere, he knew, and if anyone ever saw him like this, he'd never live it down. He considered going to visit Wolf, but that would be too awkward, and he'd never get anything out of it, given that the other would even let him in.

What could he do, then? If he wanted Wolf back—and he did—then he would have to prove himself by first confronting his team. If he didn't do that, there was no way he'd be able to regain Wolf's favor. But even that would be fairly pointless, because the time he'd have left to enjoy it would be almost nonexistent.

Unless…

The team didn't have to know everything. None of them had to know how close he and Wolf _(had been) _were—they just needed to know that Wolf was on Zoness and that he needed passage back to Corneria.

He could do this. He had to. If nothing else, he owed enough to Wolf to not let him sit around and die on Zoness. Bringing his PDA to eye level, Fox opened the channel that would broadcast his voice over the PA system.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "I'd like to see everyone in the conference room, as soon as possible." As soon as he said the words, he closed the link and began making his way to said room.

* * *

Fox was the first to arrive. A large, polished mahogany table dominated the room, edged by a good eight leather-upholstered chairs. He sat in the one on the opposite side of the room, facing the door. Falco was the first to enter, saying, "What's up?" as he did so. Fox told him to wait until the others were all here, and in just a few minutes, the rest of the team had all entered.

"I have a proposition for you guys," Fox said. He let his eyes run from Peppy to Slippy to Falco to Krystal , all hunched over the table and looking at him. "Or request, rather. I doubt too many of you will like it, though."

Falco snorted. "Because it's not odd at all to call us all in here."

"Well what is it, then?" Peppy said, ignoring the bird.

Fox chose his words carefully. "You guys remember how Star Wolf helped us out, right?" Slippy nodded, and Falco and Peppy exchanged glances; none of them dissented, at least, and that relieved Fox.

"I ran across Wolf in Kana." None of them looked surprised, but neither did they look pleased. "I think we should take him in." He paused for a second, pressing his paw against the table. "Now, how many of you want to shoot me?"

Falco snorted. "You could bring goddam Andross onboard. As long as it's not Leon, I don't care who comes as long as he stays the hell away from me. But really—" Falco stopped to utter a bark of laughter. "—hearing you say that is like... just, wow. I wish I'd recorded that."

Peppy had been looking at the bird as he spoke, and now he turned to Fox. "I understand he saved your life, but consider what you're doing. This isn't even our ship."

Fox met the hare's eyes. "I have, and I think we owe it to him."

"You know that once we take off, we'll be stuck on a ship with him until we arrive in Corneria?"

"It'll only take us a day to get there," Fox said, "and I don't know about you guys, but I'm flying in my Arwing. And Wolf is…" He wasn't sure what he had intended to say. _Nice? Hot?_ "…stuck on Zoness."

Slippy said, "I think if he needs some help, we should give it to him. We're alive 'cause of him, after all."

Peppy's eyes shifted to the toad. "You think so?"

Slippy looked away. "Well, we don't have to like him or anything. But aren't we kinda bound by honor or something to help him?"

Fox nodded. "I agree to a point, but I think this is a good opportunity to make a good ally."

Krystal spoke for the first time. "Wolf is one of the best pilots in the system. If he's on our side, then…"

"Exactly."

Peppy considered it for a while. Fox wondered if Peppy had yet made the connection between Wolf and the figure he'd seen that night a few days ago, and hoped not. "Well, you're the captain, Fox, so whatever you say goes. It's all up to you, and I guess you're the one who knows the most about this."

The captain card—a clever move, Fox realized, because it negated the value of Peppy's opinion, but still allowed him to keep it.

"Bring him here," Slippy said, "so we can talk to him."

"Alright." Fox nodded, feeling his ears perk up. This had gone better than he'd thought it would. "I will."

Falco said, "Then we're done?" Pushing his chair back, he stood, yawned, and looked around the room.

"Yeah."

"Well," Falco said, "go get him already, so we can go. Shit, I'm getting tired of this place."

Fox found the courage to smile. The last person to exit the room, not including Fox, was Peppy, who looked askance back at his captain. Deep inside, Fox only hoped that this would be enough for Wolf.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

_Day three, part two_

When Fox arrived at Wolf's apartment and rapped on the door, it didn't take long for Wolf to open it and stare back at him.

Neither of them said anything.

Time flew by. 1500 hours loomed just on the horizon, but Fox couldn't force himself to speak. _Idiot. Do something. _He gathered what strength he could, but all he could do was look up at the other, hoping he'd say something.

But when Wolf spoke, he figured that silence might have been sweeter. The older canine said, "Come to see your favorite sex toy?"

It would be more convincing, Fox thought, if they'd actually done anything like that. But still, Fox's confidence wavered under the other's tone. There was no anger in the words, but a profound timbre of disheartenment. Fox managed to say, "It's not like that, and you know it." He knew from the look on Wolf's face that his attempt at reconciliation was pathetic. Exasperated, he growled and said, "I'm an idiot, okay? An insecure idiot."

Insecure was an understatement, he knew. After what he'd done, he supposed it was a wonder Wolf was speaking to him at all.

"Well..." Wolf leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms. "It isn't like it matters now. Shouldn't you already be gone, or something?"

"We leave at three," Fox murmured, "and you're coming with us."

"I'm—" Wolf's purple eye opened wide. "What?"

"I told them. They don't know everything, but I told them about you, and they're willing to let you onboard for a bit."

"Uh-huh." His astonishment melted into spite. "And then what?"

Fox shrugged. "We'll take things as they happen, I guess."

"What happens when all the bounty hunters start beating down your door? Would you really endanger your entire team just for me, or would you be able to throw me away like I deserve? And isn't it a bit ridiculous to trap yourself on a ship with someone with a stake on your life?"

"I don't think it's ridiculous," Fox said. "And—" A door down the hall opened, and he realized that he was still outside Wolf's room, the other standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

Wolf shrugged and walked inside. "Be my guest."

As Fox entered, he ran Wolf's earlier words through his head. When he took his place on the couch, and Wolf had taken his on the bed, he said, "So, do you mean you're hesitant to accept my offer 'cause you're scared I'll get hurt?"

"You and your team, yes. Only an asshole wouldn't be."

Change of tactics: "You could leave on your own," Fox said. "I won't stop you. Hell, I could get you a ship if you wanted so it was believable."

"You really think I'll have the balls to do that once I'm safely settled in your little mothership?"

"I could force you to do it."

"Oh?" Wolf's eye met his. "But could you?"

Fox looked away. "No. I couldn't."

"Then why would I come? Let's face it, nothing good could come out of it."

"Don't you want to?"

Wolf grunted. "Hell yes, I want to."

"And I want you to, too. You saved all our lives—and at least mine twice—and the least we can do is not let you die like this. Come on." Fox stood and walked over to the bed. He extended a paw to Wolf. "I already told them you were coming, and they all want to meet you now."

Wolf sighed. "I'm a weak, weak wolf." He extended a paw and clasped Fox's. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into—but yes, I'll come with you."

Fox smiled in earnest, and when the handshake was over, he embraced the older canine, gently squeezing him, savoring the warmth. He held his breath for a while, waiting for a reaction, and when Wolf's strong arms tightened around him, he felt a surge of relief and said:

"We'll figure something out."

* * *

Peppy had been staring off into space, trying to puzzle out the meaning behind Fox's request for Wolf to lodge with Star Fox—and trying to decide if there was anything worth puzzling out of it in the first place—when he heard the footsteps coming down the hall. Fox had called them minutes earlier and told them he'd be arriving soon, so now the whole party had gathered in the conference room once more. The room felt, though not tense, awkward, if for no other reason than because they had rarely assembled before. Peppy couldn't remember if they'd ever been in the one in the Great Fox; James used it often, but not Fox.

Soon enough, the door slid open and admitted Fox, who led in Wolf. Seeing Wolf in person, and in casual clothing, made Peppy lose track of what he had been thinking. The room remained quiet until Fox and Wolf had taken their seats, Fox taking his usual center-chair and Wolf sat at his side. Their casual entrance and demeanor made Peppy scold himself for thinking that something was amiss.

But when Fox sat, he cleared his throat—a sign, Peppy knew from years of proximity, of nervousness. "So, uhh," Fox started. "You've all met before, sorta, but... welcome aboard Wolf O'Donnell." He gestured over at the other, who did not acknowledge his mention.

The room was silent. Peppy broke it by saying, "So, Wolf, is what Fox said true?"

Wolf looked at Fox, and Fox looked at him; that caught Peppy's attention. "That depends on what he said."

"That you're knee-deep in some shit," Falco said.

"That you want our help." Slippy eyed Falco. "And that you're not out for us anymore, and—"

"Yeah, okay, I get it."

"So it's true?"

Wolf grunted and laced his fingers, resting his paws on the table. "You really think I'd be taking charity from Star Fox for shits and giggles?"

"Well, no." Slippy looked at Peppy, as if to say, _go ahead_, but Peppy didn't have anything to add, so he looked at Krystal. The vixen only shrugged.

"You know you're still a criminal, right?" Falco said.

There it was again; Peppy had been watching this time, and he saw it—Fox and Wolf looked at each other, and Fox kept his eyes on Wolf as he answered for the other, "We know that, but maybe we can get his record cleared at the banquet. If he's not doing anything illegal and he helped save the System, why not?"

Now Krystal and Fox eyed each other. She said, "You can probably get the military to do anything for you, Fox."

When everyone seemed to be done talking, Peppy was the first to stand. Ever since first hearing of the plan of taking Wolf aboard, something had been gnawing at Peppy, and he couldn't place it. "I'm getting too old for this," he said when he got strange looks. "I need a nap."

Falco pushed back his chair and stretched. "Ditto, old man."

Krystal laughed. "You're not getting old. You just partied too hard."

"Hey," Slippy said. "Where's Wolf staying?"

Fox was standing too by that point, and he licked his lips and looked up, as if in thought, no doubt trying to recall the layout of the carrier. "Huh, well, he can have the guest quarters or the med bay." Another look at Wolf. It infuriated Peppy that such a simple, natural gesture nagged him so much. It was just too weird, seeing Fox so casual with his rival.

Wolf shrugged. "Guest quarters, I guess. What's the difference?"

Fox sighed. "Oh, I'll show you. You need to know where they're at, anyway."

"Alright then."

If there was any more conversation past that point, Peppy missed it. Falco had already left, and the hare filed out, leaving the others behind and heading towards the elevator. It hadn't been an excuse; he was tired.

* * *

The door to the guest quarters slid closed behind Fox. Wolf was beside him, and Fox watched him take in the room. It was certainly bigger than the room at the Oriental Wolf had been staying in, but it was more plain and spartan; only three pieces of furniture adorned it: the bed, dresser, and nightstand. Flanking the bed were two windows, peering out into the city.

"Well, it's big enough." He didn't sound enthused, and his voice sounded as if he were trying to make it lighter than it otherwise would have been. "No bathroom?"

Fox shook his head. "Communal." He bit his lip, trying to sense the other's mood. "Try not to stare at Falco in the shower."

It was moot point, because Falco would probably choose to ride in his Arwing. Wolf met his eyes, and Fox watched as Wolf's frown undid itself. "I wouldn't be staring at Falco." The words weren't quite as playful as they had been in the past, but hearing the rebuttal made Fox feel a bit better.

Wolf's eye swept across the room, as if searching for something interesting in a room of nothing. "I guess this place is nice. It'd be a little suspicious for us to room together, huh?"

Looking at the other's static muzzle, he didn't know how to respond. He couldn't tell if Wolf were mocking him or goading him. "Well…"

"Relax. Joking."

"Right." Fox took a deep breath. "Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled the old eyepatch out, holding it out to the other.

Wolf shook his head. "I gave it to you."

"And I'm giving it back."

"If you're trying to make me feel sorry for you, it's not going to work."

Hearing Wolf repeating his words from before made him laugh. "Well, are you taking it, or not?"

"I don't want it," Wolf said. "Keep it, or, fuck, donate it to a museum or something."

He could imagine an exhibit in the Corneria War Instutite, the patch enclosed in a glass rectangle with a plaque below it whose text had been penned by Wolf: _eyepatch of the best pilot to ever get his ass kicked by Fox._

Wolf tilted his muzzle. "But I'd rather you keep it."

They shared a cool smile, Fox replacing the accessory into his pocket.

"Feels kinda strange," Wolf said a minute or so later, "being on a military ship. Usually, I'm the one shooting these down."

Fox rolled his eyes. "Let's just hope Pepper doesn't hang us for harboring a criminal."

Wolf chuckled, his smile becoming fuller and more genuine. "And I guess your team isn't quite as annoying as I thought they'd be, except that toad."

Fox walked towards a window, beside the bed, and peered out, looking down on the city. A few people were out on the streets, appearing as tiny splotches from his view. "They'll come around, eventually. And… I've done some thinking."

"Yeah?" Fox heard foosteps behind him, and felt a paw rubbing his neck. "Should I be concerned?"

"Mmm. No, it's the other way around. We do owe you, and we're not letting this Zenith group get you. As soon as the banquet's over…"

Wolf let out a groan. "Let's not talk about that just now, alright?"

"Not now," Fox said, a bit quicker than necessary. "But we will. And you're going to tell me everything eventually."

Wolf sighed. "Okay, fine."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

_Day three, part three_

Peppy sat in his favorite armchair, sipping a glass of flavored water and browsing the news headlines on his communicator. Krystal and Slippy sat a few feet away from him, crouching over a game of vChess; at the other end of the room, almost hidden in the shadows, Falco, Fox, and Wolf busied themselves with a game of billiards. It wasn't anything like the rec. room in the Great Fox—years of Fox and Falco's competitive games had led to the competition of trying to cram as much as possible in that space.

Peppy had originally planned to sneak in a nap after all the work he had to do prepping for launch, but once everyone else arrived, it was almost impossible. Every time he started fading into the pleasant word of half-sleep, someone would yell something that would jolt him back to life. It had been quiet for the last few minutes, though, and Peppy wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

Beside him, Krystal and Slippy mumbled something to each other, and a few minutes later Peppy knew that it was bad when he heard a shout from the other side of the room.

"That's not fair!" It was Falco's voice.

A laugh from Fox. "Is too."

"He shot your ball in!"

"Quit your chirping." Wolf. "Ain't any rules against it, are there?"

"You piece of shit."

Peppy looked over at them. Wolf and Falco stood on one side of the pool table, their faces a foot apart. Fox, on the table's opposite side, had a bemused crook to his lips. For a second, Peppy thought that Falco might hit Wolf, but instead, he slammed his stick on the table and began walking in Peppy's direction. The hare watched the canines watch Falco until he plopped down in a chair a few feet from Peppy, crossing his arms.

"They're just mad because they can't beat me."

_Looks like they did_. Peppy smirked at him. "Caught the nerdrage again?"

"Don't tell me you're on their side, too." Falco eyed the two canines, who were speaking too quietly for Peppy to hear.

He wished he could hear what they were saying. They were huddled together in the far corner of the room, their figures almost lost in the darkness. In fact, the image—it looked almost familiar.

Peppy had seen it before, he realized with a start. Late at night, when he'd sat up waiting for Fox to return after that dinner. Two figures, obscured by the dark night, but one of them had to have been Fox, and the other—they'd just invited him on-board the ship.

So the lucky girl was Wolf.

Peppy looked back up at Falco and tried to calm his racing thoughts. "I'm on no one's side," he said.

Krystal rotated her chair so that she was facing them. "They played dirty and you overreacted. You're both at fault, but it's just a game."

Falco grumbled. "Shouldn't you be playing chess?"

"vChess," Slippy said with a proud smirk. "Designed it myself."

"Right. What'd you do, rig it?"

"No," the toad said. "I made it more fun. More pieces, more rules, less ragequitting when you lose your queen."

"What does it stand for?"

Slippy gave a nervous bark of laughter and laced his fingers together. "Um, it stands for Very Chess."

Falco scoffed. "What kind of name is that?"

Slippy avoided looking at the falcon. "Well, uh…" He stumbled over the words, still smiling, but it looked forced. "It was kinda ROB's idea."

They fell silent at that. A minute passed before Krystal returned to her game, and Falco shook his head.

"Whatever. I'll get him back for this, just you wait."

"Wait, Falco—" It was too late; the bird had already stood, and before the minute was up, he had quit the room and dragged Fox with him. Wolf lingered at the other end of the room; he stood still for a few seconds before stepping out, muttering something to himself.

Peppy paused to gather his thoughts. He promised himself that if his hunch was correct, he wouldn't be angry at Fox. Now wasn't the time, and their captain deserved to make his own decisions.

_Given that they're his own to make._

What if Wolf was manipulating Fox? If Wolf's story were true and he really had lost just about everything he had, it would give him motivation. He could trick Fox into surrendering some of his possessions—or maybe this was all just a ploy to get Wolf on team Star Fox. All of those were possibilities.

He needed to talk to Fox, and maybe Wolf. Had to be sure that Wolf wasn't trying to take advantage of Fox. But Fox wouldn't come to Peppy, especially with all this pandemonium, so he'd have to do it himself. With that in mind, he exited the rec room, looking for his vulpine captain.

* * *

Fox closed the refrigerator, hefting a jug of milk in one of his paws. Falco was the only other person in the kitchen, and when the bird cleared his throat, Fox anticipated the words before they came.

"What's your problem?"

He pulled out a glass and filled it with milk. He took a generous gulp in order to bide time before saying, "I dunno. I don't think I have one."

"Yeah?" Falco was leaning against the white plastic table in the room's center, half-sitting on it. "Well, what's his, then?"

"I thought you said you didn't have any issues with him being here."

"Right. I said I didn't mind as long as he left me alone. I don't call cheating against me leaving me alone."

"Oh, please." Fox put the half-empty jug back in the fridge. "It's really not that big of a deal. Losing pool once won't shrink your dick."

"Hey, I see how it is. It's my fault, then. Well... I mean, of course you'd say that, with how lovey-dovey you were getting with Wolf after I left, and how you—"

Fox almost choked on the milk. "W-what? Hang on, you said what?"

"You heard me. You guys were practically all over each other back there."

"Falco—" He bit back the clumsy denial and instead stared into his glass. Falco was just trying to spite him. "You're an ass, you know?"

Falco was frowning at him now, his beak looking twisted. "Point is, you're treating him better than you're treating me, and you've known me for half your life."

"Not quite that long," Fox muttered.

"Who gives a damn? That's not my point."

"I guess..."

"Just be a little fairer, okay? Just because he's a guest doesn't mean he's the captain. You're still in charge around here, you know."

"Yeah, I am, and I don't want you antagonizing him. He's had enough of it already." Fox stood, holding what he realized was an empty glass. When it became clear that Falco had said all he'd planned to say, Fox prolonged the task of putting it in the sink.

When Falco left, Fox started pacing. With his luck, if Peppy didn't out him, he'd accidentally do it himself before they departed Zoness. But there was less than half an hour left... and then what? Lines from his and Wolf's discussion drifted back to him:

"**So, do you mean you're hesitant to accept my offer 'cause you're scared I'll get hurt?"**

"_You and your team, yes. Only an asshole wouldn't be."_

"**You could leave on your own. I won't stop you. Heck, I could get you a ship if you wanted so it was believable."**

"_You really think I'll have the balls to do that once I'm safely settled in your little mothership?"_

"**I could force you to do it."**

"_Oh? But could you?"_

"**No. I couldn't."**

"_Let's face it, nothing good could come out of it. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."_

He tried to shove such thoughts out of his mind. He told himself he shouldn't spend the time he had worrying about the time he hadn't, but he was never good at listening to the voice of reason. That was Wolf's territory.

The milk had left a sour aftertaste in his mouth, so he grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed to his room, hoping maybe it would make him feel a bit better.

* * *

The hall leading to the kitchen was as Spartan and bare as the rest of the military ship—almost dull enough to annoy even Peppy. When the hare was halfway to the kitchen, he saw Falco walking towards him, looking only slightly better than before.

"Hey, gramps," the bird said when they were close.

Peppy gave the other a faint smile. "Calmed down yet?"

Falco shrugged. "Fox and I had a nice little chat."

Peppy felt a jolt of anticipation. "About Wolf?"

"Sorta."

He chose his words carefully. "Did he tell you anything... important?"

"I'm the one who did the tellin," Falco said, a smug look on his beak.

_Drat_. "Could you tell me where he is, then?"

"I dunno. He was in the kitchen when I left two seconds ago. Maybe he's still there."

"Okay. Thanks."

He had already started on his way when Falco stopped him and said, "Something up?"

"I don't know." He was surprised at how quiet his voice was. _Just shut up and let him go._ "I hope not, but I'm starting to wonder..."

"It's Wolf, isn't it?" Falco's voice rose. "A guy who cheats for you will stab you in the back a second later—I know from experience."

"Calm yourself," Peppy said. "It's not that."

"What, then?"

"I don't think I should say." Giving Falco ammunition wasn't exactly on the top of his list, here.

"Yeah, huh. He's only tried to kill us, what, four times? And now he's on our ship and he's up to something and you won't tell me what it is?"

"That was ten years ago, and you left out how they saved us twice. Fox invited him onboard personally, so I'm sure he won't be trying to kill us."

"Then what are you so uptight about if it's not that?"

Peppy sighed. He didn't know why he'd bothered, because he knew his words fell on deaf ears. He thought back to what Krystal'd told him earlier, when he'd spoken to her about their captain, when he was as curious as Falco was now. She'd said it wasn't any of Peppy's business, but he'd be damned if it wasn't.

Peppy looked at Falco. The hare was talking before he could even realize that he planned to do it. "There's something going on between Fox and Wolf. I'm almost sure of it."

"If Wolf did anything to my pal I'll—"

The hare frowned. "Falco, stop it. You don't need to do anything. Stay calm and I'll take care of it." He paused, then, looking at the bird's directionless glare, decided that if he didn't say more, Falco might murder Wolf before launch. "But whatever it is, it's just as much Fox's doing as it is Wolf's."

Falco's indignation melted into confusion. "So you're saying that..." He didn't seem to know how to finish the sentence.

"I don't know what I'm saying, but don't worry about it. I shouldn't have told you anything to start with," he said angrily, more to himself than to the other. "Just go to your room and... and be quiet, okay?"

"Aye. I've never been good at that."

"Well, now's a good time to start."

"Fine. I'll go, then." Peppy didn't like the bird's tone—focused, clear, like his mind was set on something.

"You'd better. And don't sweat it. Fox is a reasonable person, and I'm sure it's not that big of a deal."

He didn't know whom he was trying to convince, but either way, he'd failed. Falco's expression didn't change, and he walked away with a terse, "Later, granpa."

No sooner had Falco said his goodbye than Peppy had started towards the kitchen door again. He was almost jogging. Hadn't been this anxious since the day James died. Sure, he didn't want Falco doing anything stupid, but the situation bothered Peppy more than he'd let on. When he came to the kitchen door and pressed the button that would slide it open—

An empty mess hall stared back at him. He balled up a fist and pounded it against his side. Not only had chatting with Falco made him miss his opportunity, but also it had placed dangerous information in the mind of a volatile bird.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

_Day three, part three_

Fox McCloud wasn't drunk. When he was drunk, he was out in the vacuum of space, free of the heavy burden of the atmosphere that held back his motions. He was alone on a stage with no one around to see him goof up. He was in his Arwing while walking down Corneria Main.

He was none of those things now. Even if he were, he'd still be able to handle his ship perfectly. He'd proven it many times before, both in the air and on the land. But he'd taken in just enough that he wasn't completely himself.

The black oblivion stretched endlessly before him, twinkling with the light of distant stars. Nearby, he could see the other Arwings, the military escorts, and the carrier he knew Wolf was on. Though seeing space had always been comforting to him before, it did little now, even when viewed from the inside of his Arwing. They were moving dreadfully slow, so he'd kicked in the autopilot so it wouldn't drive him crazy.

A solid twenty hours later, they'd be in Corneria. The banquet. He remembered how it was last time: a massive social with too much food and enough alcohol to make his current state look dead-sober. People who wanted to talk to him but had nothing to say. Too much attention, too much of the spotlight. The speeches. Oh, he hated the speeches. He'd get up there and say something that made him look like an idiot, and everyone in the crowd would glance at each other, and, if they weren't saying it, they were thinking it: "We had to rely on _this _kid to save our lives?" By the end of the ordeal, there had been nothing to gain for him except for countless attempts to get in his pants.

It felt good to lose himself to the pleasant buzz from all the empty bottles back in the carrier, to get away from the rest of life, which wasn't looking too bright. Word of his scuffle with Falco must have traveled quickly, because now it seemed that the team was suspicious. When they were prepping to launch, he'd felt like an outsider. The stares he was getting from the team were becoming more and more difficult to ignore. At this point, the only one whose company didn't frustrate him was Slippy.

Wolf had been there, too. To his credit, he had kept close, giving Fox a sympathetic eye, and once, a warm paw on the shoulder. But that just made it worse, and he ended up having to glower at Wolf to keep him away.

His comm lit up, causing his eyes to snap open. Looking at the clock, he saw that an hour had passed since he'd last checked. He ignored the chiming for a few seconds before finally touching the screen for more information.

It was Wolf. Half-annoyed and half-grateful, he accepted the link.

"Yeah?"

* * *

_From his room aboard the carrier, he could see the city sprawling out around him. Earlier in his life, he would have stared out the same window and seen just a hodgepodge collection of structures, but now he saw something greater. Life pulsed from the city, and every passerby seemed not just as a dot, but as a separate entity, going on its own way. He wouldn't have the same privilege for much longer. He felt like he was drifting in a limbo, waiting for it all to end. Hell, Star Fox was his hospice. _

_A sharp rap on the door caught his attention. He grunted at the interruption, but went to the door nonetheless. By the time he got over to it, he was sure it was Fox at the door, so he pressed the open button without looking. When a blue-feathered falcon stood before him, he could only blink at it for a while. _

_The bird spoke first, with a practiced ease. "Launch is soon."_

"_I'm aware."_

"_I know."_

_The bird didn't say anything else. It was a trap, but he couldn't help asking, "Then why come here?"_

"_Because, man..." He paused as if to gather his thoughts, but the way he rubbed his chin seemed too theatrical to be genuine. "I just wanted to apologize, for how I acted earlier."_

_Wolf cocked an eyebrow. "Huh. You're shitting me."_

"_No, no." He shook his head, looking like he was trying not to look smug. "I'm perfectly serious. If I'dve known you and Fox were fucking behind my back, I really would've—"_

_The bird's beak was much harder than it looked; it made a resounding _crack _and left Wolf shaking his hand to deaden the pain, but one good strike was all it took to shut the bird up._

_It shut Wolf up, too. For a while, neither of them could speak, and beyond the initial burst of anger, he was surprised at how calm he felt. He wasn't upset at himself, even, for doing something that stupid—if this were a test, he'd just failed it, and whatever chances he had at concealing his affair he'd completely snuffed out. But now Falco was eying him, and he knew the bird was waiting for him to make a move._

"_Got anything else to say?"_

"_What'd you do to Fox?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_Hah. Even if Fox _were _into guys, he'd never like an asshole like you."_

So much for subtlety. _"Yeah, well, he is and he does."_

"_Do you think I'm stupid?" The bird was getting uncomfortably close. "I think I'd know my best friend were gay. You hardly even know him."_

"_He _isn't _gay, and I think I know him pretty well."_

"_Well, he _obviously _doesn't know you, or he'd have already de_port_ed you." Falco shoved the other, sending him stumbling back a few steps, but Wolf maintained his composure._

"_Yeah, yeah. We'll see. How'd you figure it out, anyway?" _

"_Magic." The bird grinned._

"_You're not bright enough to do it on your own. Who told you?"_

"_I, uh..."_

"_Yeah, I thought so." He hoped it was Fox, finally admitting everything—it would be for the best, after all—but that couldn't be it. The pup was way too insecure for his own good. "The hare, right?"_

"_Why do you care?"_

_Wolf growled, less from anger than to intimidate. "Because when you care about somebody, you care about the things they care about, too."_

"_You're disgusting, and a terrible actor."_

"_Oh, waaaaaaah," he mimed, starting to lose his patience. "Two people enjoying their lives together too much for you to take? Jealous 'cause you've been single your whole life."_

_Falco winced. "Whatever. Enjoy it while you can, 'cause as soon as he realizes how big of a dick you are, you're going right back into the pit you crawled from."_

"_It doesn't matter," Wolf said to spite him, "because I'm not going to be here for long, anyway."_

"_Oh?" Falco's face lit up, and Wolf regretted the words immediately. "Too bad for Fox, then…"_

_Wolf growled and balled a fist. "You should probably leave before you say something that earns you a broken beak."_

"_Alright, alright... jeez, you're so sensitive. I feel terrible for the girl—oh, wait, guy—who has to deal with it every day."_

_Fortunately for the bird, he was already walking out the door as he spoke. Wolf gritted his teeth and punched the wall, but doing so brought him no peace. He wanted to blow something up. Wanted to shoot down a hundred enemies. Wanted to strangle a certain blue falcon._

_None of those things were possible. The frustration and anger had nowhere to go, so he did the only thing he knew how to do:_

_He punched the wall again and thought, _Man, Fox is gonna be pissed.

_(_If he knows._)_

* * *

"Stupid military ships," came Wolf's voice. He didn't have a visual, but the sound came through nonetheless. "I bet they still use G-thrusters."

"Heh. Yeah." One of the guards was in front of him, and Fox could see the outline of its boosters. It wasn't G-series, but it was still pretty bad. "And PhaseTaze blasters."

"Don't mess with Taze, pup."

Fox scoffed. "What, had those on your first ship?"

"When I was twelve, or something."

Fox noted that the hesitance in Wolf's voice was gone now; in fact, it had disappeared only minutes into their conversation, so he felt a bit silly for worrying over it. He couldn't deny that their talk had boosted his mood, either. He hadn't been expecting a VOIP-esque call, but he couldn't complain.

"Fox?"

"Huh?"

"Something up?"

Odd, for Wolf. Fox shook his head, forgetting momentarily that the other couldn't see him. "Just thinking."

"Well... I'm gonna go take a walk."

"Oh? That sounds so manly and intimidating."

"Shut it up, will ya? I haven't been on a flight this long in... ever. My poor ass."

"Oh?" Fox snickered under his breath. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Mmm, kinky." Fox could hear the leer in his voice. "But I think we'd better start with the basic stuff first."

Fox felt his jumpsuit get a little tighter. "How basic are we talking, here?"

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe you should tell me."

"I asked you first."

The older canine laughed. "If your memory still serves you well, you should know that I've always been more for showing than telling."

He recalled the first time his then rival had pressed up against him. Now, feeling Wolf's sensual voice resonate within him, he found the feelings to be equal. "I like your style."

Fox could sense Wolf's grin, even though they were separated by the frozen vacuum of space. "But I was serious about the walk. I'll see you tonight."

The link ended, making the sound system release a short _pop_. He was just about to lie back in his seat and doze for a bit, but he saw a notification on his console that stopped him:

**New messages: **5

Wondering who would be trying to contact him through messages, he opened them up—and saw that they were from Falco.

**hey | what are you doing | your comm link is busy | okay then | send me a message or something**

Leaving such a vague message didn't suit Falco. In fact, it was unlike the bird to message him at all if his line were busy. Fox sent a message back to Falco: **Hey, what's up?**

It was a while before he got a reply. _Falco_ _is typing… _flashed on the screen for a few seconds, then disappeared, then flashed again.

**i think I'm the one who should be asking that question**

Fox wrote back, **wat**, and reclined farther back in his chair. He brought the map into focus on his HUD, and saw that they were a quarter of the way to their destination. They'd make it back in time for the banquet, although barely.

Falco's reply came: **u know what I'm talking about**

Fox shifted in his seat. **I'm afraid I don't.**

**or are you just too much of a pussy to say it? **Before Fox could forge his thoughts into a coherent message, Falco continued. **dude | I know what's going on**

Fox bit his lip. **Going on?**

**with u**

Fox's fur bristled. _It has to be something else. A joke for revenge, maybe, or something about the banquet. _How could Falco know?

**u and wolf**

He had to reread the message three times before he could believe it. **What do you mean?**

**i mean… **_Falco_ _is typing _blinked in and out a few times. **he do anything to you?**

Fox took a deep breath. Tendrils of cold crept up the sides of his head. **Falco… tell me what you heard, OK?**

**didn't hear much**, Falco wrote. **only that you 2 are... you kno | is it true?**

Fox thought for a while, just staring down at the console. He realized only when he went to type his response that he'd been chewing his claws. **Yes, it's true. | And?**

The screen stood motionless, and Fox wished he had the confidence his words exuded. The dot showing their current location paced onwards on the map, and he gritted his teeth.

**so your gay then?**

**No.**

**bi?**

**What does it matter? **He didn't want to have this discussion by text messages; he didn't want to have this conversation at all. **I just do what feels right. **

**why didnt you tell anyone? | before now, I mean**

**Did it matter? It never has until now. and my business my business.**

**you didn't think it was important?**

**I like girls**, Fox wrote.

w**ell, wolf isn't a girl.**

**Gee, I didn't notice.**

**what about him? gay?**

**If you're so interested, why dont you go ask him yourself?**

**I'd rahter not | almost broke my fucking beak last we talked**

Fox's fur bristled. **You talked to him?**

**uh, duh**

**About what? **Fox had to retype the sentence several times because his fingers were slipping and hitting the wrong keys. C_alm down. Wolf wouldn't tell him. _Or would he?

**stuff**

**I'm not playing around. What'd he say?**

**a bunch of BS**

This wasn't getting Fox anywhere, and he knew it. He decided he would just ask directly: **How did you find out? **There was no response, so he added, **Did Wolf tell you? **and felt guilty immediately afterwards.

**why dont you ask your boyfriend what happened?**

Fox had **He's not my** typed out before deleting it. It felt like the icy clutches of space had reached into his Arwing and threatened to consume him. **Who else knows?**

**everyone now**

"Dammit," he said aloud, punching the control panel, causing the display to flicker. **What about the others? | People not on the team?**

**no, man | that's not their business **

At least there was still some hope, he thought bitterly, but with the rate it was spreading, he would be the laughingstock of Corneria any second. What it would be like at the banquet if everyone there _knew_ him?

**you ok?**

**No.** Fox wrote back. **Do you have any idea how fucking hard this is for me?**

**then just stop, it's not like wolf's forcing you to do anything, is he?**

It could be that simple. This whole ordeal could just be an embarrassing secret that nobody ever spoke of again. Maybe he'd never like another male. And Fox felt like an ass for considering it. **No, Falco. | He's not. | Will you shut up and stop asking?**

**u sure**

**read | what | I | just | said. **He pounded on the keys, wishing he could reach through and break Falco's beak for real, because he never knew when to shut up. **I'm the one who started it, don't tell me it's his fault.**

**he's got nothing to lose and he can bs the fuck out of you, of course he'd agree! | he even said he's gonna ditch you soon**

Fox growled. Another spike of rage hit him, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and wait it out. He was angry at Falco for caring about him, and he'd rushed to the defense of someone who'd lied to his muzzle only minutes earlier. And he was angry at himself for feeling that way.

What all had Wolf told Falco? What all hadn't Wolf told Fox?

He switched off the conversation. Truth was, he didn't know, and just then, he didn't care. If Wolf hadn't outed him, he'd at least lied to him. The icy sting of betrayal hurt more than any wound he'd ever taken.

Dimly, he saw the comm link light up, but he ignored it. All he could do was rest his head in his paws and wait it out. They would be stopping soon to sleep for the night, he knew, and he _was_ pretty tired. Maybe he would feel better in the morning, if he could live through the night—maybe all of his problems would be gone when he woke up.

He couldn't help wondering if he still had a team.

It was an hour later before he got a comm request that wasn't from the team or from Wolf. An older husky appeared on the screen, looking a bit harried. "McCloud, sir. We'll be reaching the station in half an hour."

"Okay." He stared back at the image, waiting for the link to terminate, but it didn't.

"Sir, your teammates have been trying to contact you. They say they've been unable to get through."

Fox nodded. "I know."

"Is your ship functioning correctly?"

"Everything is fine."

"They would appreciate it if you would call them, sir."

Another nod, this time brisker. "I know. That's all?"

The husky's ears drooped a bit. "Yes, that's all."

The link switched off, and Fox felt another flash of anger. At least the husky hadn't seemed to be in the know. Leaning back in his seat, Fox sighed. Part of him wanted to return the calls, but he was too angry, too frustrated, and too tired to do it. He'd say something he'd regret.

He could see the station when it came into view. It wasn't the biggest one he'd ever seen, and it was one of the older cubic models, but it looked large enough to accommodate the carrier. Just to have something to distract him, Fox switched off the autopilot and went to docking his ship manually.

The fighter bay was large enough to easily accommodate all of their Arwings; it was more like a hangar in a ship warehouse than anything else. Fox was neither the first nor the last to arrive, but he was the last to exit his ship, stepping out into the bay. All he could see was cold, gray metal all around him, except for the occasional bright gleam of a ship or a logo.

He looked away from the others—all of them were there except Wolf, who'd docked on a different level—and followed the attendant, a short mink, to the elevator. If the others were staring at him, he didn't see them doing it, but he certainly thought he could feel their eyes on him. Once or twice, someone tapped him to get his attention, and he could swear he heard Peppy call his name once, but he ignored it. As long as there was a witness around, he could safely ignore them.

The elevator opened and they stepped out into a hall that felt a bit more homely than the hangar had, though it still wasn't nearly as nice as the Great Fox's halls were—not that it mattered, as they were now scattered throughout the system with the explosion of the Aparoid homeworld. They stood around for a few minutes before the other elevator, adjacent to them, opened and admitted Wolf.

Fox couldn't help looking at him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Fox saw that the other was lightly frowning at him. It wasn't an angry expression, but rather a sorrowful, regretful one. Fox looked way as soon as he could, wondering what the others had said to him.

"The rooms are on this hall," the mink was saying, but Fox wasn't listening too closely. She said something else, but he missed it.

"I assume you'll be rooming with Wolf, Fox?" Peppy said, looking at him. Fox couldn't hold the hare's eyes for long, and though he couldn't detect any malice in his voice, he thought it held an edge of mockery.

"Actually," the mink said, "we have enough free rooms to give each of you a separate chamber."

"I figured," the hare said, "but I thought—"

"I want a room of my own, thanks." Fox tried to keep the venom out of his voice, but he couldn't help glaring at Peppy, whose ears wilted under his gaze.

"Alright," the attendant said. "Here are the keys..." He produced some communicator chips from somewhere and handed one to each of them. None of the others bothered asking about taking roommates, though they usually did whenever they stopped somewhere.

As soon as he had his chip in, he followed the instructions to his room, which was just down the hall. Someone was behind him, but he didn't think much of it until he stopped to open his door, and the footsteps stopped.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Wolf. He felt like he should say something, but he couldn't make himself speak.

"Fox..." Wolf scratched his ears and grunted, as if in frustration. "I screwed up, but now we're even. Let's not make a big deal of this, okay?"

_This is perfect._ _Invite him in, work out your differences, and everything will be fine._

Except that it wouldn't, because now everyone knew. "I'll see you tomorrow," Fox said, trying not to look at him. He stepped into his room and shut the door behind him, and just that quickly, the regret hit him. He looked out the peephole to see Wolf still frowning at the door, but it was too late; the damage had already been done, and before Fox could do anything, Wolf vanished

It sickened Fox to know that Wolf was right. Wolf had only done to Fox exactly what the younger pilot had done to him. It sickened Fox to know that Wolf was on his doorstep asking for forgiveness and he didn't have the balls to grant it, whereas earlier, the older pilot had taken Fox's apology in full and hopped aboard a foreign ship with a bunch of former enemies, all at Fox's behest.

A few minutes later, the valet brought up his suitcase. Fox showered and spent the next thirty minutes grooming himself. He noted that had he taken Wolf in, the older canine might have done it for him, and then felt silly for thinking it. It wasn't like they were that serious.

Were they?

When he lay in the bed, he stared at the ceiling, uninterested in sleep despite his fatigue. Every time he shut his eyes, he saw Wolf looking back at him, ears low, brashness charmed. The way his muzzle pulled back slightly when Fox cut off his apology. Fox knew Wolf's answer to that question, though his former rival would never admit it, and the thought formed a pit in his stomach that wouldn't go away.

This was all a sharp reminder of why he'd never taken Krystal's advice before, because he had a major public appearance upcoming at the banquet and the last thing he needed was to be distracted by his love life.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

By the way, user Imagica over on FA did some nifty fan-music for this fic. Find it at www .furaffinity view/4404011.

* * *

_Day four_

A persistent knocking on the door roused Fox. Without thinking, he clambered out of bed, barely able to keep his eyes open, and pressed the button that would slide the door open. A different attendant, a female rat, was outside his door. He spent a few long seconds wondering why she was just eying him, not saying anything, then realized that he was nude. "Uh..." He took a step to the side, hiding most of his body from the rat. "I'm up?"

The attendant blinked, and said to herself, "I see." She cleared her throat. "Check your messages, sir. Should be one about the plans for today."

"Okay." He waited a second or two to be sure that was all, then closed the door.

He went back inside and tugged on a casual outfit before flopping back down on the bed, pledging not to fall asleep again.

_Wolf would've answered the door with a mischievous smile, his one purple eye dilating. "You sleep nude? How cute."_

"_Not usually." Fox didn't like being called cute, but for Wolf, he would let it slide._

The half-dream shattered when he heard a knock at his door. Groaning, he walked to the peephole and didn't look through it when he realized it was Krystal. When he opened the door, she entered wordlessly and seated herself on his bed, looking at the wall. She looked calm, but he could feel the worry and anger lying just beneath the surface, and even if he couldn't, he could smell it.

He knew she was waiting for him, so he said, "How are they taking it?"

She shook her head. "Not too well, but not terribly. Poor Slippy didn't believe it until this morning, when you weren't at breakfast."

"I didn't feel like facing them."

"You'll have to, eventually." He knew she was right. "Fox, they only know half the story. When are you going to tell them about Wolf's situation?"

He frowned. "They don't need to know until then. I don't want Wolf to suffer for it."

"He's suffering now, you know."

Fox looked away. "I know. I am, too, but... I just don't know anymore."

"So you've split up, now? Or you plan on splitting up?"

Fox shrugged, and his voice came out weak. "I don't know. I don't want to, but hell, we've got more important things right now that I _should_ be caring about." He started to add that he didn't know if he could trust Wolf anymore, but then he remembered the frantic apology at his doorstep and he knew that he could.

Krystal tilted her muzzle at him. _that's not a good enough reason/isn't your happiness important_ "Do you remember why we split up?"

"Yeah, I..." It struck him that his relationship with Krystal had been almost the opposite of his current one with Wolf. Krystal flinched, and he knew that she'd picked up the thought, too. "I don't know. I need to think."

Though she covered it quickly, he could tell she'd frowned as she stood. "You need to do something. Either split with Wolf or confront the team and tell them about him. Nobody likes this, and you're right—we don't need it to interfere with the banquet. We owe the system more than that."

He grunted. "The system doesn't owe us a damn thing. I just want to do what I can to help."

"Of course you do. And if you're going to help, you need to think about what you're going to say at the banquet."

Fox's tail lashed behind him. He hadn't thought about that yet. "Can't I just get Peppy to write a speech for me?"

She glared at him. "Well, that requires you to talk to Peppy, and even if you could, you know that won't work."

"Whatever." He noticed her glancing at the door. "You leaving already?"

"I haven't meditated this morning. Here." She walked to him and pulled a small chip from her pocket, holding it out for him. "This has all our room numbers on it. I hope you'll need it."

He could feel her eyes boring into him. "Okay, okay... I'll talk to you later."

She flashed him a quick smile, and a few seconds later, the door slid shut.

She hadn't helped at all; he'd heard it all before. He couldn't be angry with her, though, because she was right. She was right fairly often; her insight was one of the reasons he'd dated her, and the biggest reason they'd split up.

He thought back to then. Fox and Krystal—the concept of them together seemed so natural and perfect when viewed from aside. Fox himself had been fooled for a while. They'd greatly enjoyed themselves, but there was no spark, and their mental bond made it too difficult to enjoy any degree of intimacy.

But with Wolf… it was so weird, because it seemed so preposterous to think that either of them would ever like males, especially each other, but as crazy as it was, there was something between them that clicked. It hadn't been like that with Krystal.

But came the inevitable reminder: _You've got two more days now. _It'd sounded at most like a vague threat, but Wolf had seemed, not scared of, but acquiesced to death, as if its coming was certain. Two more days after today, and it would be there. The whole system owed Wolf for his role in the war, and as the only one who knew about the bounty, Fox should've done something about it earlier, instead of watching while the older canine's hours slipped away. Instead, all he'd felt was his own fear of discovery.

Fox tapped the valet's number into his communicator. When rat's holoimage appeared and uttered a rote greeting, he said, "Hey, could you bring me my laptop?"

"It will take ten minutes to retrieve it and bring it to your room, sir."

"That's fine. If I'm not here, drop it off and I'll get it when I get back."

After a quick goodbye, he shut off the link and inserted Krystal's chip. The team roster appeared before him; he noted the room he wanted and closed the file. After taking a deep breath or seven, he steeled himself for the worst and called Peppy.

When the hare's image appeared before him, he felt a stab of panic, but it passed quickly. "Fox?" Peppy said. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Hey, could you do me a favor?"

The image eyed him warily. "That depends on what it is."

"Could you gather everyone in Krystal's room, for me? In about five minutes."

The hare's ears swiveled forward. "Gonna spill the beans for us?"

"I guess."

"About time, kid. What do you want me to tell them?"

"Tell 'em... we got something we need to do."

The hare blinked at him, but his facial expression didn't change. "Alright."

An urge gripped him. "Hey, one more thing. Do they think I'm crazy?"

He shook his head, but Fox knew it was a mock shrug. "Fox, we don't know what to think. Krystal insists that you're fine, but Falco says you're not."

"I'm fine," he echoed. "I'll explain when I get there. Just keep everyone calm."

"I'll try, but don't expect too much. I'm in the dark here too, you know."

Fox nodded. "I know. I'll explain. Don't worry."

The hare sighed. "Okay. I'll trust you." His ears twitched. "Should I get Wolf?"

Fox bit his lip, then shook his head slowly. "No."

He had a curious look on his face, but didn't say anything about it. "I'll get going, then."

When the hare's image disappeared, Fox found himself pacing, running what he was going to say through his head. Every time he thought he'd found a good way to explain, he'd forget how he'd done it. He kept up the pacing for a few solid minutes. Killing someone usually wasn't work that Fox liked to do, not to mention that it was illegal—but what if it was endorsed by the government, like the murder of Andross had been? With a little help from the team, he might be able to get it to work.

Maybe he was a bit insane for doing this. But it might be just crazy enough to work.

And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was more important than the drama the team was immersed in. An accomplice's life was on the line, and even if they didn't like said accomplice, they couldn't ignore that he'd been invaluable to them and everyone in the system.

He tried not to think about Wolf, but when he stepped out of his room, he found himself heading in the direction opposite to Krystal's room, toward Wolf's room. Before he could stop himself, he knocked on the door.

At first he thought it wasn't going to open, but after what felt like an eternity, it inched open just enough for Wolf to stick out his head. "Need something?"

His throat tightened, and he instinctively swallowed. Less than a day earlier, he would've been invited in without question, but that intimacy had been shattered so well that he almost wondered if it had ever been real. "Just wanted to see how you're doing." There was no response, so he added, "Anyone giving you trouble?"

Wolf clenched his jaw. "No trouble." His voice was eerily quiet.

He was lying, just like yesterday, when he hadn't told Fox that Falco knew. "You eat breakfast?"

He shook his head. Was it the silent treatment, or genuine unease?

Fox knew he shouldn't press, but he had to ask, "Why didn't you tell me?"

The façade shattered, and Wolf's lips curled into a light snarl. "All you do half the time is bitch about how the world will end if everyone knows your dirty little secret. Maybe I have bigger problems and I don't want to hear you whining about such stupid shit all the time."

"Wolf..." Fox's ears were down, and he'd taken a few steps back. "Was there anything else you didn't tell me? You didn't tell Falco about us, did you?"

Wolf looked almost hurt, his anger dissipating. "You know I'm not that much of an asshole. Like I said, I should've told you about the stupid bird, but... we only get to talk so much, and..." He trailed off, peering at Fox sheepishly.

Fox sighed. "Well, I guess that makes sense. I'm an idiot."

"Yeah." Wolf's one eye blinked at him. "For such a smart guy, you can be really stupid sometimes." He looked away, frowning as he thought. "You know what: ignore me, I'm not being fair. Do you want to come in?" He swung the door open a bit more.

Fox shuffled his feet. "I'm going to go talk to the team."

"And say what?"

Fox couldn't answer; he knew Wolf would try to stop him if he knew what Fox were doing. He clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, and decided to dodge the question. "I'm going to make things better."

Wolf grunted. "I hope you know what you're doing."

He almost said, "Me too," but decided that it wasn't exactly smart to do so. Instead, he said, "Okay, well. They're waiting on me. I'll talk to you later."

Before he could take the first step, a warm paw on his shoulder stopped him.

"Fox?"

He faced the older canine, but couldn't make himself stare into the eye. "Yeah?"

A heavy silence passed; it lasted only a few seconds, but it felt longer. "Star Wolf is going to be at the banquet."

Fox let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "That's fine. You talk to them?"

Wolf nodded. "Yeah. They're en route to the City."

"I'll talk to Pepper," Fox said. "See if I can get that military bounty removed." _Among other things_.

"Good." His smile was audible. "Talk to you later, pup."

Fox had hated that name at first, but now it made him grin. Wolf made no move to move his paw, and it remained a heavy weight on his shoulder, warm and comforting. Reluctantly, Fox pulled away and took a step away from the door. Wolf gave him a final wave before disappearing inside his room.

Krystal's room was two doors down from Fox's, on the opposite side of the hall. Taking small steps, he approached it, and stared at it. _Here we go_. This was exactly what he had been fearing ever since... ever, to be honest. But he had to do it, and there was no way around it. That resolution gave him the courage to knock.

Krystal opened the door for him, giving him a weak smile that said, _You're late_. Sniffing the air, he noted she had changed the fragrance from the usual Cerinian flowers to a warm vanilla, Fox's favorite. That, blended with Krystal's own scent, all over the room, soothed him enough that he was able to keep his pulse under control. He could do this.

He stepped inside. Slippy and Peppy were both seated on the bed across the room. A table and chairs was in the center of the room, pushed up against the wall, and Falco had seated himself in the chair that faced the door. Fox took a seat at the edge of the bed, next to Slippy and Peppy.

"So," Falco said, "you mind explaining what the hell is going on?"

"Where's Wolf?" Slippy said.

"He's not coming." Fox restrained himself from looking at anyone, because it made him more nervous. "Guys, we need to talk about something."

"No shit," Falco said. "We're waiting."

Fox felt the corners of his mouth tighten. He could see Peppy glance at the bird, then at him. "Is this relationship something you want?"

"It's voluntary." Fox noted that they avoided mentioning the problem, like it were a dirty, embarrassing secret, and even though it had been such in the past, it wasn't now. If they couldn't discuss it now that it was out in the open, how could he fit into the team?

"So it's true?" Slippy said.

He nodded. "Wolf and I are..." He struggled for the right word. "Dating." It still didn't feel right.

"But, he's..."

"You've never met him," Fox snapped. _And you were the one who wanted a ride on his Wolfen, Slippy._

"But I kinda don't have to meet him to tell that he's male."

"So what's the big issue, then?" Fox countered. "Is it that he's Wolf, or that he's a he?" He caught Falco's eyes, but looked away quickly.

"Fox likes males," Krystal said. "It's not a big deal."

"I could've sworn you were straight." Falco gave Fox an annoyed look. "Jeez, if you like males, why not just tell me from the start that you're gay?"

Fox had had this feeling countless times before, when the media swarmed around him and jabbed recorders in front of his muzzle, never giving him a chance to give more than a few words of response to a depthless question. Those words would always be taken out of context and streamed on all the popular media channels, and soon Fox McCloud would be slightly less the ideal hero that he'd once been.

He'd learned first in the Academy and again in the air the foolishness of trying to take down multiple skilled opponents simultaneously in a dogfight. Each pilot has his own tactics, and what jukes one might lead you right into the clutches of another.

This was a war Fox couldn't win.

"Let's talk about my personal life later, okay?" he said, returning Falco's stare. "I wanted to talk to you because there's something we need to do."

Krystal nodded, smiling. "Go on."

Fox sucked in a deep breath and cleared his throat with more confidence than he'd thought he had.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

_Day four, part two_

The StarGate bay in Corneria was bigger than the bay in the space station, and much nicer, with less dull gray metal everywhere. Fox was the first one to land, and he stepped out of his ship, stretching until his spine popped. Others flew in quickly afterward, but the Great Fox and the military ships, he knew, wouldn't be landing here.

An escort had appeared beside him, a young male tiger who was quite easy on the eyes. It wasn't too long before the other members of the team collected there, too, Wolf included. Fox noted that nobody looked at him except Peppy and the tiger—who stared with open admiration—but at least the lack of nervous glares was reassuring.

The tiger led them out, into a public transit stop in the busy streets. They were fairly far away from the heart of the city, but there was still enough traffic to make Zoness look like a ghost planet. A large yellow hovercar pulled up, and they all climbed inside.

A few minutes later, they were deposited outside Corneria Suites, one of the nicest hotels Fox had stayed at over the years: massive courtyard, twenty-five stories, wide building, all the feature you could dream of. A suiting arrangement, he thought, but the military had given them five days to stay, and Fox was only going to use one.

* * *

The room was as nice as he remembered, if a little too ornate. It thrummed with gold and red, from the elaborate wallpaper to the comfy-looking quilt on the bed. The room was pretty large; he made several trips to get his gear from both the Arwing and the Great Fox, and he had no trouble fitting it all in. He'd just hauled in the last of his bags when a knock sounded at his door. He knew who it was before he looked out the peephole and saw the tall ears.

Fox hesitated before opening the door and letting the old hare in. Nervousness welled in him despite his best efforts to stop it. "So, Fox," he said calmly, "I don't really know where to start."

"You're telling me," Fox said, closing the door and staring out at the room like he'd never seen it before.

"Well, let's start with the easy stuff. I'd been wanting to talk to you for a while, but with Wolf—" He said the name with just a hint of distaste. "—I couldn't find a good time."

"Now's as good as ever, I suppose."

"Right." The hare leaned up against the wall. His ears had lost a bit of their erectile strength over the last few years, and now they seemed to droop more than ever. "Though… I don't think you'll like what I'm going to say. I've been thinking a lot, recently."

Fox bit his lip, expecting a fatherly scolding. "Go ahead."

"I'm old. I was figuring that once all this is over, I'd retire." Fox's mouth hung open. "After all this stuff, I think I've made up my mind."

Fox wished he could say that he were surprised. Only a handful of days ago, the hare had given him a pledge of loyalty, promising Fox that he wouldn't leave—and now, it might as well never have happened. Those three words, _all this stuff_, were all the explanation Fox needed.

He somehow kept his voice even. "You're leaving Star Fox."

Peppy nodded. "I think my fighting days are over. Don't give me that look, Fox. This isn't _all_ about Wolf."

Fox closed his eyes. He remembered the day the then younger hare had come to his door, panting with exertion, his muzzle, normally jubilant, now grim. Remembered hearing the news of how his father had died. Remembered dropped out of his school to become leader of a shaky, young team, guided from the sidelines by its senior member.

"It was an honor to serve with you."

The hare grinned. "You're a good pilot, and a good fox. Just like your father."

Fox rubbed his neck, hoping it'd stop his fur from bristling. It didn't. "He basically died fighting Star Wolf, and now, I'm..." He frowned. "What would he think?"

Peppy laughed. "He was quite the character before he met Vixy. He was far too in love with females to give us males a glance, so he probably wouldn't understand. I doubt he'd take much convincing; all he wanted was for everyone to be as happy as he was." He gave Fox a grin. "He was also very forgiving. He'd see making a friend of an enemy as far better than taking revenge upon him. And even so, I doubt Star Wolf knew what would become of him before they handed him over to Andross."

Fox felt a bit silly for worrying, now. "Wolf isn't evil. He never was."

"I'm sold on that." His muzzle wasn't as happy as when they'd talked about James. "It's just… we were talking, earlier, the team and I. None of us can figure out why you'd choose Wolf. He may not be evil, but he doesn't seem pleasant in the slightest."

"You guys haven't given him any reason to be pleasant to you. And he won't admit it to you, but being a marked man does put him on edge."

Peppy shrugged. "Time will tell, I suppose. But for the moment, I don't support this mission you're about to launch into. I hope you weren't counting on that."

"You know me better than that. And, you know what? If you retire, I want you to find a nice female that you can settle down with."

The hare grimaced. "I like being single about as much as James hated it."

"I figured. So… can I take this conversation as meaning you're alright with my not being single?"

"At least Wolf's a mercenary, and I guess you don't have to worry about a family popping up. Just don't do anything stupid."

Fox grinned. "You know, you really have gotten old. Used to be you were always telling me to _just shoot it, Fox_."

Peppy laughed, and started towards the door. "Just you wait, you'll be ten times worse."

"We'll see."

The hare was about to step outside, but he hesitated and turned back. "One more thing. Slippy said he's not coming on the mission. Apparently he has a date."

Fox stared. "A date?"

"With some pink toad back on Aquas. He wants to propose to her."

"Slips?" Fox knew one of his brows was raised. "Really?"

Peppy crouched down, as if he had back trouble. "Kids these days, running on hormones."

Fox laughed, and before he had a chance to say anything else, Peppy was out the door, leaving him alone in the room. But Fox was far from finished. He still had three more to go.

Fox locked the door on his way out and walked down the hall until he found the right room. He counted on this one being the most difficult, so he knocked on its door first.

"Yeah?" Slippy said from inside, his voice nearly muted by the thick door.

"Can I come in?"

A minute or so passed. Fox leaned his ear up against the door, trying to hear inside. Finally, he heard Slippy respond with, "Sorry, I'm busy right now."

Fox clenched his right paw into a fist. He'd counted on this being hard, but not impassable. He was about to knock again, a bit harder, when Slippy said, "I'm on the phone."

He let out a puff of air. "Oh," he said, low enough that the toad couldn't hear him. Slippy was too candid to lie to him, but part of him argue that this was important enough that the toad should've hung up. But then he remembered that it was probably the other toad he'd been talking to, the female from Aquas, and wasn't sure if that changed anything or not.

Deciding just to move on, he headed farther down the hall and found the next room. He still had two people left to see, and for many reasons, this was going to be the easier of the two. Chief among those reasons was that Fox didn't know if he'd be returning to his room after his last visit. The thought came so effortlessly that he had to pause and take it in, and to take in the fact that he didn't feel silly for thinking it. But he knew that wasn't something he should worry about now; he'd take things as they went.

After the meeting yesterday, Falco had sent him a quick message saying, **I can't believe your gay**, to which Fox had responded, **Texting went out of style last century**, because he was sick of the bird telling him the same thing every time he saw him. There had been no response. He knocked on Falco's door with the intention of fixing that.

Falco stared back at him, wearing the same angry-yet-aloof expression as always. He was shirtless, as he often was when alone. His body was almost as impressive as Wolf's—strong arms and a toned, nearly-flat chest—but Fox wouldn't allow himself to equate that with attraction.

"Hey," Fox said because he didn't know how to start.

"Yo."

"So... you want to talk?"

A few seconds later, Fox was seated on Falco's bed, the bird slowly pacing around the room. Fox felt like he was preparing for an interrogation.

"So." Falco scowled, as if in frustration. "You mean to tell me you're gay?"

Fox shook his head, a little annoyed. "We've had this conversation before, you know."

"I know, I know…"

"And I don't particularly like having it."

Falco growled. "It's kinda hard to take this in. Don't you remember all that crazy shit we used to do?"

Fox snickered. "You mean, all the crazy shit _you_ used to do?"

Falco looked a little sheepish. "I mean, like, before Krystal came in, remember how we used to talk?"

About the girls. "You started all those conversations," Fox said. "And I never brought back any bitches, not that it matters."

"There's no way you were acting that whole time."

"I wasn't. I find women attractive. I just..."

"So, you like chicks, but you date guys?"

Detecting the sarcasm, Fox mock-glared at him.

"Okay, okay." Falco's face lit up as if he'd discovered the cure for stupid. "Okay, easy question: do you like dick?"

Fox let out a bark of laughter. "How'd I know you were going to ask that?" He remembered when Wolf had asked him the same thing, and was tempted to repeat his old answer of, _just Wolf's_.

"How can you be gay if—"

"Hey," Fox said, his amusement giving way to annoyance, "You're oversimplifying things."

"So you don't find Wolf attractive?"

"Of course I do. I'm just very selective."

"Blegh." The bird pretended to gag. "So, you find me attractive?"

Fox glared at him. "No."

"If you're attracted to males, how not, eh?" Falco grinned at him lewdly, puffing out his chest.

"Ah." Fox pointed a finger at him. "We talked about this before, remember? Feathers don't do it for me. Canids only. Besides, you like females, and don't fantasize about sleeping with Krystal, do you?"

Falco tapped his chin with a talon. "Uh.."

At that, Fox threw a pillow at him. "Okay, okay," Falco muttered when it hit him in the head. "Not that often."

"Lucky I'm not dating her anymore."

Falco shook his head. "I dunno, man. It's not clicking, this whole bi thing."

"Huh. You're not the only one," Fox muttered.

"You mean Krystal?" Falco smirked at him, and he shook his head.

"I mean me."

Falco raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you're just confused. You sure you're into Wolf?"

Fox clicked his tongue. Falco'd hit the point exactly: Fox liked Wolf, not his male body, though it certainly was a bonus. But he knew Falco wouldn't understand, so he said, "No offense, but he looks way better than you shirtless."

"Hey," he said, "I'm a falcon. You know how much work it takes to look like this?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Fox made eye contact with him. "So, we're still cool?"

Falco shrugged. "It's your business, man. It's just, why not tell me earlier?"

"And have this awkward conversation when I didn't have to?"

"Point." Falco grinned. "But, you know, I'm not even gay and I have better taste in men than you. Still trying to figure out what you see in that asshole."

"Give him a chance," Fox said. "He's not _that_ bad."

"Whatever... just don't think I'm tagging along in your little knight-in-shining-armor scheme because of Wolf."

"You'll come around eventually."

"We'll see." He sniffed, and paused for a second. "So, uh. Never had a gay friend before. Gonna help pick out my clothes next time we go shopping?"

Earlier, it would've angered Fox, but now, he surprised himself by laughing. "I'll dress you in pink and rainbows. It'll be _fabulous_."

Falco shuddered. "Okay, that's just creepy. It's not contagious, right? Better get out just to be sure." He extended a wing towards the door.

Fox felt that it was time to leave, anyway, so he headed out, uttering "See ya" as he left. It had gone better than he'd expected, but now, Fox thought, it was time for something that was long overdue. His heart was pounding, so he took a while to compose himself before he knocked.

Wolf's muzzle showed a hint of a grin when it peeked out the door. "Room service?"

"Why, certainly," Fox said with an accent.

"Then come on in."

Fox shuffled in the door, and Wolf's scent reached his nose, strong and undeniably male. It could've been eliminated with scent-erasers, but Fox liked the smell. Not as heady as his own, and a bit exotic given his species.

Wolf was looking at him from across the room with his arms crossed, half-wary and half-amused. They hadn't spoken since their brief chat before the team meeting. Fox didn't know what to do, so he mimicked what he'd done with Falco and sat on the edge of Wolf's bed, looking over at the other.

He kept thinking back to what Falco had said. Wolf was undeniably attractive. His arms bulged with just the right amount of muscle to make them appealing without being ridiculous. His muzzle was usually set in an odd-yet-pleasing combination of grouchiness and, when around Fox, amusement. His fur, though not the softest Fox had ever felt, was well-groomed and fairly thick, and by now, Fox found his scent pleasant and arousing.

Wolf was gruff, not beautiful. He could never use that word with his former rival. Could never box him up in a cookie-cutter white dress and parade around a ballroom with him. Could never show him off to all his buddies and expect approving grins. But none of that mattered.

"So," Wolf started. Wolf looked a bit amused, and Fox wondered if he'd been caught staring. "Gonna start talking?"

"Peppy and Slippy," Fox said with false bravado. "They won't be with us."

"Uh-huh." Wolf uncrossed his arms and walked towards the bed. "And what exactly are we doing?"

"Zenith," Fox said. "We're gonna take them out."

Wolf laughed. "Are you insane?"

"Maybe, but I think it could work." He sounded much more confident than he was, and Wolf wasn't helping.

The other drew in a breath. "Okay, there's so much wrong with what you just said that I don't know where to start." He made a show of concentrating, rubbing his chin. "Okay. You have any idea what you're up against?"

"Actually, I do." He tinkered with his communicator and brought up the notes that were the fruit of his efforts. "I know that it's led by Nico."

"True," Wolf said. "How did you… no, wait, I don't want to know. Tell me: did you also know that Nico owns a company called Sargasso Enterprises?"

"You told me, yeah."

"Did you know that's one of probably a dozen companies he owns and manages personally?"

"I get it. He's a big deal. So are we."

"You said you talked to your team, right? What'd they say?"

"It's complicated."

"I'm waiting." Wolf walked towards the bed and sat on its base beside Fox, who _harumph_ed in false annoyance.

"I told them that once the banquet's over, I'm gonna be tracking down a certain weasel."

"Their reaction?"

"Mixed." He cleared his throat. "You got some water, or something?" It was less because of thirst, and more to get Wolf away for a second so he could think.

"Yeah, hang on a sec." The bed creaked as Wolf got up. The mini-fridge was beside the bed, and it popped when he opened it. "Keep talking."

"Well..." Fox laced his fingers, tapping them against the backs of his hands. "Falco still thinks you're going to kill me, or something, so he's probably going to come."

"Joy." Wolf handed Fox a small bottle of water and retook his place. "Just who I wanted."

"He's not that bad. And uh... Krystal's coming, of course."

"Mmhm. Competition for me?" He cocked his head to the side and leered at Fox, whose laugh came a bit too late and a bit too forced.

"Obviously." It sounded lame, and he didn't want to go there yet, so he changed the topic as quickly as soon as he'd finished taking a quick gulp of chilled water. He looked forward, not towards Wolf. Not yet. "Peppy's retiring."

"Okay. What about the toad?"

"Haven't talked to him yet. He's busy talking to his girlfriend."

"And your plan?"

"You tell us your story—actually, you tell Pepper your story—and maybe we can convince the general to hire us to take him out."

"Clever," Wolf said, but his muzzle was masked in light amusement, and Fox couldn't tell what his real thoughts were. Something was wrong. "And maybe we can get all my charges cleared, while we're in the City."

"Yeah." Fox bit his lip. He looked at Wolf out the corner of his eye, wishing he could know what was going on inside his head. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a good shot. That all you wanted to talk about?"

"No," Fox said immediately. The next words were a bit harder to get out. "There's something else."

Wolf answered a bit too slowly. "Yeah?"

"I've been thinking." He flexed his fingers a few times, trying to calm himself.

"About?"

"Once we get all this taken care of…" He thought back to how he'd rehearsed this, and tried to remember how best to say it. He couldn't. "I would understand if you wanted to go back to your old life with Star Wolf."

"If," Wolf corrected. "And…" He shifted a bit on the bed, putting some of his weights on his paws, by his side. "I know."

Fox licked his lips. "Will you?"

"I don't know." His voice was deep and puzzling, as if he really didn't. "Do you want me to?"

Wolf's eye on him made Fox uncomfortable, and he looked away. "N-no. Well, if you want..." He grunted and met Wolf's stare; he had to get this off his chest. "Look, after all the crap I've given you, I can understand if you don't want to deal with it anymore. You can have your life back and do whatever you want with it." It sounded much less impressive in words than in his head.

"Yeah? Well…" Wolf put a paw on his shoulder, making Fox squirm a bit. "I think we can worry about that when the time comes."

Fox stiffened. "But it matters now."

"Pup, I know what I want, and right now it's to be here. You?"

"I… yeah." A surge of affection for the older male hit him. On a whim, he leaned over and rested his head in Wolf's lap, looking up at his muzzle. "Maybe tomorrow, after the banquet, we can go somewhere."

Warmth filled him when he saw Wolf grin and reach down to rub between his ears. "Where?" Fox smiled, a paw reaching up to scratch between Wolf's ears. The angling was a bit awkward, but the pleased rumble his old rival gave was worth it.

"I know a few places. You'll see. Everyone knew my dad and me, so I had to have _somewhere_ away from everything to take all the vixens."

"You with a vixen?" Wolf chuckled; Fox could feel his breath, hot on the inside of his ear. "Can't imagine that."

Fox snickered at him. "Hey, I dated quite a few back in Academy days."

"So did I," Wolf rumbled. "Doesn't make me any less of a fag."

"Uh-huh." Fox gently pushed Wolf's head off him, and made sympathetic eyes at the other pilot "Did it hurt?"

"Yeah." Wolf folded his ears against his skull, and it looked so out of place that Fox laughed. "What?" Wolf said. "Those sluts wouldn't leave me alone."

Fox grinned. "I can understand why." He regretted it immediately, but Wolf only looked amused... and Fox realized that they were dating, dammit, and he shouldn't regret it at all.

The thought made him purse his lips together in concentration. Somehow, they were still together. Even after all the screw-ups, after all the fights, being in the same room as Wolf still made Fox smile, and Fox knew that he was probably the only person to witness Wolf's softer side. Fox had hesitated each time when Krystal asked him if he wanted this to last, but now, he was certain that neither he nor Wolf wanted it to end.

He met the other's eye, and tried to put his thoughts in words; what came out was, "This is becoming real, isn't it?"

Wolf gave him a look that said, _You ruined the moment_, though Wolf himself would never voice it. "I wasn't aware it was ever fake."

"I mean... the team knows, now, but it hasn't changed anything. We're still..." _Boyfriends?_ He still couldn't say it. "Remind me," he said aloud, "how I got myself into all this."

"Once upon a time, there was a little fox who couldn't resist the big, sexy wolf."

"Shut up," Fox said, poking his leg. "You got it backwards."

"Oh?" Wolf counter-poked him. "I think it works either way."

"Yeah, yeah…" The bed held up noiselessly as Fox shifted his weight and stood. Wolf was on his feet a few seconds later, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Leaving already?"

It was then that he noticed it. It'd been tingeing the air ever-so-slightly for a while now, growing just a little stronger with each passing minute. It was still weak enough that Fox wasn't sure he had it right, but arousal and fear were the only scents he could smell with any degree of accuracy, and he was sure it wasn't the latter.

Despite feeling completely tongue-tied, Fox managed to say, "Do you want me to stay?"

Wolf looked as surprised as Fox felt. "Well…" He drew the final consonant out. "I'm not one to complain."

His elegance failed him; all he could say was, "Me either." If he had any doubts about the scent earlier, they were erased now.

Still, he wasn't expecting the older canine to pull him closer and meet his muzzle in a deep kiss. It had been a while, and Fox had forgotten how good it felt—it definitely beat the feelings he'd gotten from said vixens back in the academy. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, but it must've been quite a while, because the next thing he knew, Wolf was gently pushing him onto the bed.

His head buzzed with warnings, but in his stupor, he found it easy to ignore them.

Wolf crawled onto the bed and crouched over Fox, who had no qualms about embracing the older canine and meeting his muzzle for another, warmer kiss. His body moved of its own accord; only after Wolf's shirt was off did he realize Fox had been the one to remove it.

Somewhere amidst the mass of whirling of thoughts and instincts, Fox realized that he and Wolf were about to have sex.

Wolf's paws were on his back, gently massaging. When the kiss ended, Fox grasped his own shirt, tugged it off, and discarded it, expecting and earning a probing stare from Wolf. He went for Wolf's muzzle again, but after only a few seconds, the older canine backed away.

They locked eyes. Wolf's muzzle was taut in concentration, but tilted as if he were asking a question.

Whatever it was, Fox answered by placing his paws on Wolf's chest, feeling the firmness underneath the fur. His paws automatically made their way downward, resting on Wolf's belt. Touching there wasn't nearly as awkward as Fox had expected it to be. Despite trembling fingers, it didn't take him long to unclasp the belt, and soon Wolf was nude except for his bulging boxers, embroidered with a design Fox didn't recognize.

His paws settled on the elastic of the waistband, and he looked up for permission to pass the point of no return. Wolf looked back at him, his muzzle now emotionless.

Fox paused. If nervous and giddy were all he felt, he would proceed, but something else nagged at him. Wolf would never ask him to stop, but that look earlier had been the closest he would ever come. It was cautionary, saying, _Are you sure about this?_ That Fox had missed the message was as good an indicator as any that he wasn't exactly himself at the moment, and they probably shouldn't be doing this.

He slowly pulled his paw away. "Sorry," he said. He tore his eyes away from Wolf's groin, but he couldn't look him in the eye. "I guess I got a little carried away."

"If you want to, we can." Wolf's voice was level and calm, as if nothing had happened, and it filled Fox with warmth.

"I don't think it would be smart… it's too soon, isn't it?" He wasn't sure if he meant for them in general, or just for them after almost splitting.

Wolf shrugged. "If you think so, then it is."

"Okay. I just… don't want to make things more complicated than they already are, I guess. No sense in rushing into this." He couldn't keep his eyes from straying down, just once. He gestured, and said, "Sorry. Is it all the way?"

"Eh." Wolf shrugged and adjusted himself, and Fox took that as an affirmation. "I'll live."

The nonchalance didn't fool Fox; it could be anywhere from five to thirty minutes before it went down. Fox could feel the fullness between his own legs, and had Wolf stripped him he'd likely be in the same uncomfortable state. He tried to emulate Wolf's indifference when he said, "I guess I should take it as a compliment."

Wolf laughed. "Yeah. You should." He leaned in, and their muzzles touched. It was less intense than before, more a tease and a nose-touch, but still pleasant. For a while, neither of them spoke. Making eye contact became easier, and soon Fox found himself alternating between staring at Wolf's muzzle and staring at his body—excepting, of course, the forbidden parts, though he was almost certain Wolf appreciation admiration anywhere. Fox's paw found Wolf's chest, kneading the lean muscle. He kept it up for a while, but when he thought better of it, he snatched back his paw.

"Sorry," Fox said. "I guess I'm not helping."

Wolf scratched him between the ears. "Not really, but I don't care." He grinned naughtily. "I like it when you touch me."

Fox chuckled. "I could certainly touch you in other places, if you want." His paw traveled a bit lower, rubbing over the rim of Wolf's navel.

"I'm perfectly fine with waiting," Wolf said. "I don't want either of us to regret it."

"Heh. Come a long way from talking about becoming fuck-buddies, haven't we?"

Wolf just laughed. The funny thing was, Fox knew that he should feel awkward after all this, but he didn't. Any awkwardness he felt was overpowered by the pleasure he received from being here. He knew he should leave, but he didn't have the willpower to do it.

Fox adjusted so that he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Hey, Wolf."

A pause. "Mmhm?"

"Can I stay here tonight?"

Wolf's expression didn't change, but he sat up a little. "What for?"

"I… no reason." Wolf was eyeing him, so he added, "I don't want to do anything, I just…"

Wolf blinked, and his muzzle stayed blank for several seconds, until he chuckled. "You know, I never took you to be one for cuddling."

Fox's ears felt like they were on fire. "Well…"

"Whatever." A paw ruffled his ears again. "You can stay."

Fox grinned. He licked Wolf's nose before standing and grasping the waist of his own pants, ironically having more difficulty with them than with Wolf's. At Wolf's questioning stare, he shrugged. "Figured we might as well be even." Stripping felt a little weird, but not as weird as he expected it to feel. It definitely felt erotic, watching Wolf watch him as he took off his pants. By the time he was done, Wolf was already in the bed, his head resting on one of the pillows.

Once the lights were off, Fox didn't find it hard at all to climb in beside his old rival. A lupine paw gently sought his shoulder, and it wasn't long before he scooted over so that he was closer to Wolf. At first, he leaned up against Wolf's shoulder, and the positioning felt a little weird. He ended up with his head on the other's chest, which was surprisingly comfortable. Wolf's pulse thumped in his ear, quick at first, but rapidly slowing.

"You smell good," Fox murmured, breaking the silence.

Wolf laughed. "Foxes stink." A warm paw stroked the fur on Fox's neck and head. "Except for you."

Fox felt the gentle rasp of a tongue on the top of his head. He thought back to how the others claimed they couldn't see how Wolf could ever be pleasant, and found that he couldn't take them seriously anymore. His right paw gentled rubbed Wolf's side as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Wolf chuckled when the link switched off. To Fox's credit, it was a clever pun, if a bit… titillating, and the conversation had put all kinds of thoughts into his head. But once the euphoria of their conversation wore off, he couldn't stop the flood of guilt. _

_He should've told Fox about the bird. He'd get hell for it later, but for the moment, at least, it was worth it to spend an hour talking with his trystee and not with a whineatron. Wolf resolved that, if he did get hell for it, he'd send it right back._

_Of course, in practice, it would be much harder than in theory. As stupid as it sounded, he sometimes likened Fox to a poisonous kitten: no matter how dangerous or annoying it gets, it's still charming._

_Wolf was never much of a poet._

_Despite that, he felt like a professional when his communicator beeped and he shouted obscenities. He knew who the message was from, because it was that time of day again. He didn't even have to read it to know what it would say. In fact, he didn't; he just deleted it, because he really didn't want to think about it just then. Still, the unread message flashed unbidden over and over in his mind's eye:_

**3 days, — hours, and you're mine. Kill yourself now; I won't be as gentle.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

_Day Five, part one_

Outside the hovercar, Corneria City zipped by. From what Fox could see, several of the buildings were ruined, and piles of debris dotted the city. It wasn't as bad as he'd been expecting, but his view was a little stilted. He was sandwiched between Krystal and Falco, and the former was fretting over the collar of his vest, which wouldn't stay down.

"Just pin it," he said.

"I swear, you're just like a pup." Krystals paws pressed down on the collar, trying to flatten it. "You come out here only half-dressed, but you might as well be naked, because you did it all wrong anyway."

He had to remind himself that her naggings were probably much more comfortable than the awkward silence that would otherwise be there. "It's not that bad."

"Listen to your mother, Fox," Peppy said from seats in front.

He grunted, and when Krystal pinched him, he growled and went still. A giggle from the vixen told him that it wasn't accidental.

Even with the six of them in, the back of the hovercar was only half-full. The seats were in four rows of three, and the Star Fox team, Wolf included, had filled the back two. Wolf sat in the row ahead of Fox, and now Wolf was looking back at him. If Fox didn't know him so well, he wouldn't have caught the slight grin.

By the time Krystal had fixed his collar, they'd arrived at their destination, the Corneria Center of Defense. It was gated off on the far north end of the city, sandwiched between corporate buildings, one of which was still under repair. From the outside, it looked more like a university campus than a military base, but Fox had seen the entire Center, and he knew that only the front portion was pleasing.

Fox waited for the chauffeur to open the door for him, even though he'd rather do it himself. The six of them assembled in front of the gate, and after all these years, Fox still had to restrain himself from laughing whenever he saw his team in tuxedos. This time, it was harder, because Wolf was there too, looking completely unnatural in formal black. But the humor vanished when the gate opened, and General Pepper stepped out from the Center of Defense.

"Welcome, team Star Fox," the old hound said. He held out a paw, and each member of Star Fox took it, one at a time.

"Good to see you," Peppy said, pumping his paw once up and down.

"It is good to be alive so that I may see you," he said, looking at Fox, who shrugged.

"It's what we do."

"And it's what we're here to celebrate today." The hound smiled, but it faded when he looked at Wolf. "And I see that you've brought a guest with you."

"General Pepper," Fox said, "we were hoping to discuss appealing amnesty for the crimes of Star Wolf."

Peppy glared at Fox. The general extended a cautionary paw and said, "Fox, I understand your concern, but now is not the time for—"

"I know, but..."

Peppy cleared his throat, looking at the general. "Given the events of the Aparoid War, we believe that the banquet would be incomplete without Star Wolf's presence. We will also be willing to testify given that the courts accept an appeal on the Star Wolf bounties, but we understand that now is not the time to discuss such things."

Pepper's muzzle remained expressionless, though now his eyes moved from Peppy to Wolf. "Very well then. I will grant Star Wolf permission to attend, but for the moment I can do no more."

"Pepper," Fox started, "you were there—er, here. You saw what happened."

"My memory from that day is blurry," he said. "I understand that you consider Star Wolf to have been vital to the war's success, but that doesn't change the fact that they are wanted criminals." His words were stern, but his eyes lit up as he said the last part.

"No," Fox said, aware of Peppy's eyes on him, "but you can."

The hound laughed. "I'll see what I can do. For this banquet, at least, no one will give you trouble," he said, looking at Wolf, who nodded.

"I'll let 'em know to come." Wolf started dialing on his communicator.

"But please, come in," the general said, waving towards the Center of Defense. "We want Star Fox to be the first ones in." He turned and walked back through the gate, into the complex. Star Fox followed, but Fox stayed behind.

"Come on," he said to Wolf.

Wolf's eye was leveled at him, a paw still at his communicator. "I'm not part of your team."

Pepper called back: "Star Wolf will come in with the rest of the guests. Let Mr. O'Donnell enter with the rest of his team."

Fox frowned. He wasn't expecting such a simple gesture to make him feel so bad; of course Wolf would come in with his team, the people who he'd been with for years, and not Fox, who he'd been with for five days.

"Okay." He wanted to wave at Wolf, or give him some sort of farewell, but it felt out of place. Instead, he turned his back on Wolf and followed the rest of them inside.

They walked through the courtyard, which teemed with flora and greenery, towards the large, austere mess hall. The inside of it was barely recognizable. Tablecloths had been strewn over the elongated tables, glowing candles in their centers. The lighting was bright enough to see in, but low enough that the room looked homely. Aromas of surprisingly-enticing foods drifted through the air.

The general led Fox to a seat in the center of the central table, and gestured for him to sit. The rest of the team filled in around him, with Krystal and Falco at his side.

They made small talk as they waited for the guests to arrive. For Pepper, who was leading the conversation, small talk meant war business. But Fox was fine with that, because he didn't know if he could handle small talk with his team at the moment. He still hadn't settled things with Slippy, yet.

When the guests started coming in, his head started spinning. Most of them came directly to him, like it was a royal diner and he was the king. The military officers congratulated him for doing Corneria such a good service, and several businessmen made him deals that he had to cleverly refuse. He was fending off a persistent Fichinan weasel who wanted his presence at some upcoming celebration when Star Wolf came in. Wolf's muzzle was austere, and he was saying something to Leon. Briefly, Wolf caught his eye.

"...and—yes, what is it?" The weasel glanced behind himself, seeking the object of Fox's gaze.

"Oh, nothing. Just some people I know."

"Isn't that Star Wolf?" He tensed. "They're criminals; we should—"

"They're fine," Fox said. "They belong here."

"Oh. Well, as I was saying, it's going to be tomorrow at two. We'll have all the council there, and we'll have Roxanne's cater for us." He said it like Fox should know what Roxanne's was.

"I really can't be there. I have a mission."

"What mission could you possibly have now?"

"It's classified."

The weasel frowned. "Very well. I'll spread the news." As soon as the weasel was gone, a familiar husky stepped forward, grinning.

"What's up, Fox?" Bill said. "Still busy saving the world?"

Fox nodded, grinning. He wondered how Bill had gotten in, but that was before he saw the new shiny badge on his chest. "Pretty much. Jeez, I haven't seen you in forever."

"S'been a while," he said. "You know what you're going to say yet?"

Fox shook his head. "I almost failed public speaking, remember? I probably won't even know what I'm going to say after I say it."

The husky laughed. "Good to hear. Well, see you, man."

Fox recognized a few of the others, but none of them he knew very well. It seemed like half an hour later when everyone was seated, filling the cafeteria to the brim, and it was a good ten minutes after that when the food was unveiled. It was a buffet, and from what Fox could see, it had just about everything he could ever want. When a waiter came by to take drink orders, Fox ordered a red wine Krystal recommended for him.

The food didn't disappoint. Chicken, steak, and barbecue joined rice, potatoes, and steamed vegetables on the hot bar, and a separate vegetarian section had all the components for a good salad. He sampled it all; the steak was juicy and pink, the chicken dripped with a warm, moderately-sweet sauce, and the potatoes came in every variety, from baked to diced to fried. The food made a good distraction for the boring conversation about city reconstruction and ceremony preparation. Fox didn't know how much more of that he could take.

By the time Fox had finished his meal, most of the others were done, too, but they made no move to get up. Krystal elbowed him in the side. "You need to talk to Pepper about Zenith," she whispered.

"I know." He glanced at Pepper, but the hound was engaged in conversation with someone, and interrupting him would probably not be good for his odds of success. He drummed his fingers against the table for a bit, sneaking a glance over at Star Wolf. Wolf was still talking to his teammates, his expression serious. Fox was overcome with envy to be in the conversation, as it was probably about him. He knew his mindset should be that he had more important things to worry about at the moment, but the reconstruction of a local grocery store didn't exactly fascinate him.

Fox lost track of time, but it felt like a half-hour later when Pepper silenced the room for announcements. He declared the luncheon officially over—at his cue, a host of chefs and servants covered the mostly-empty bar—and dismissed everyone. Before stepping down, he added, "I would like to meet with both mercenary teams before they leave."

Clearing the mess hall took longer than Fox expected. People kept lingering back, maybe hoping that they could hear whatever conversation Pepper was going to have, but the old hound wouldn't start until each disappointed CEO or officer shuffled out the door. Fox caught Wolf's eye, but that was all the looking Fox did. He couldn't make himself meet the gaze of any of the other members of Wolf's team, and standing beside his own team next to Wolf still made him too edgy to look at them. Instead, he fixed his eyes on the old hound, feigning more interest than he had.

The hound started with a long speech that Fox hardly heard. Peppy and Pepper talked back and forth about politics and reconstruction, the rest of the teams saying little or nothing. It felt like half an hour had passed before Pepper called his name.

"Let's move on, and discuss that appeal. Fox, you say Star Wolf was essential to your success?"

Fox nodded. He felt like saying that he would've died without Wolf's aid, but he knew he would sound pathetic, so he settled with, "Wolf provided critical support when we retook Corneria."

"But what about the others?"

Fox didn't know how to respond, but he heard Peppy's calm voice saying, "They were as essential to the missions in Corneria and the Homeworld as we were."

"But it was Fox who destroyed the queen and saved the city."

"General," Fox said, "you're oversimplifying things." He looked around at the rest of his team, but they said nothing. Falco and Slippy looked as if they were sleep-standing.

"I know, I know. I believe you are telling the truth, but I'm asking questions that I know the courts will have. Some of the judges are not keen on Star Wolf. Judge Fenmore was the one who decided it would be best to offer a bounty for them."

"Figures," Wolf muttered.

"The crimes you committed were very serious," Pepper said, eyeing Star Wolf. "Saving the System is also very serious—if you can claim to it—but bear in mind that we are talking about crimes here, not reputation. Saving a life does not compensate for taking one."

"Bah. There's never any reward for doing the right thing," Wolf said. "And you wonder why we break the law."

Leon sneered. "We never killed anyone who didn't deserve it."

"That may be true, but murder, regardless of who is murdered, is still against the law."

The words unsettled Fox. He thought about Nico, and how he planned to have him dead or captured in the next few days—and decided that the weasel definitely deserved it.

"I don't wish to discuss this further," Pepper said. "We should save the bickering for a less festive day."

"Agreed," Fox said. "But first, I have a request."

Pepper studied him. "The banquet will begin shortly. Is it necessary to discuss this now?"

"I'm sure it can wait," Peppy said. "The celebration starts soon. We should get going."

Fox gritted his teeth. "Fine."

When they went out to the transports, he wanted to wave good-bye to Wolf, but knew it wouldn't be a good idea. The two of them locked eyes for less than a second, and it was enough. As Star Fox walked towards the hovercar, Krystal fell into step beside Fox. She clasped his paw, and he squeezed back. _I know what you're feeling_, the motion told him. _We'll get through this_.

He flashed her a smile. He just had to get through the speech, and then he'd be free for the rest of the day. He'd made up his mind that morning to take Wolf over to the lake once he was done with _all that political bullshit_, and he was pretty excited about it. If everything went well, and he solidified Pepper's approval, then everything else would be out of the way except for Fox McCloud, his hodgepodge of a team, and an epic mission. Maybe it'd be a good time, he mused, for he and Wolf to finish what they'd started last night.

* * *

An hour later, Peppy was still so full that it hurt, and the accursed Lylat blazing down on him didn't help. There were more people in the stadium than he'd seen anywhere his entire life, and he was old enough that that was no joke. Star Fox stood on a stage in its center, and thousands of Cornerians looked down from the bleachers above. And he knew there were millions more viewing from other locations. It almost made him self-conscious enough to resist scratching his thighs when they started itching.

"...and as we rebuild, let us remember that we have been through this before, and..."

He reminded himself to congratulate Fox later, because a boring speech, after all, was a good one. He was contemplating that when he saw the dark figure appear atop the press box, but by then it was already too late.

* * *

Wolf zipped his pants back up and exited the restroom. Bathroom breaks: another reason to add to the list of why he was thankful Fox hadn't been able to convince Pepper to let Star Wolf out on stage. So far he had about ten things on that list, and nothing in favor of standing out in the heat and scrutiny.

When he stepped out, he frowned, thinking that he finally found one. When he'd went into the restroom, everyone had been crammed in the auditorium or one of the other hundred rooms in the place, staring at Fox McCloud for all the wrong reasons. Now, people hurried about, frantic. But the speech couldn't be over yet.

He ducked into the room he'd been in, but the screen that had before shown the ceremony was now blank, and he couldn't find Panther or Leon. When he stepped outside, someone collided with him, sending him tumbling into a few others. He felt his fur stand up. Something was wrong, but there was too much noise to make sense of things. Everyone was yelling, and he couldn't make out what any single person was saying.

His communicator vibrated. He pulled back his sleeve so he could see the screen, and on it, a message from Leon:

**Fox McCloud has been shot.**


	14. Chapter 14

In January 2011, I went through this entire story and wrote down twenty or so (handwritten) pages of things to fix. I spent a great deal of time then and over that summer (late January-May disappeared into the void of art school) going through this story and trying to fix those things, enlisting**Craft Lefty** to do a once-over near the end of the process.

Then medical problems happened. Then I left for college. Rigorous coursework, essay-intensive classes, and a novel-writing class second semester basically killed Jaslazul.

Thanks to **Crafty Lefty** for reading through this whole thing and offering some suggestions along the way last summer. Also thanks to **Chimerical Knave** for reminding periodically that fan fiction still exists, and indirectly to **Serpent P **and **Nitch** who made me realize "Oh yeah, I had that thing that I never posted..."

Anyway, here it is.** I suggest that you reread from the beginning, as there have been some minor plot changes. ** **Every chapter has been tightly scrutinized, and especially the first chapters have changed significantly**. It's not perfect, but better than what I had before, I think.

There's a ton of stuff that I still wish I could change, but the fact is, I would have to completely redo the story, or write a different story, to fix all of the issues I have with it. And I don't want to make that kind of commitment-this is an old story, and I would rather write new things than dwell on things I made in the past. But I didn't want what I did last year to go to waste. I decided that I would not go into another heavy editing process, and instead only touch up on the 2011 edits, and here's the product of it.

These are mostly presented as-is, though there is the very slight possibility that I will decide to edit a little again in the future. I encourage you to inform me if any obvious inconsistencies have made it through the revisions, though in general, for the reasons listed above I actually do not encourage much constructive criticism, if you're doing it with hopes of benefiting me.

Included is Chapter 14 as I wrote a year ago. I don't know if I will finish this story- as I said, I would generally rather write new things, and this story is already finished my head, with only the task of writing it left. However, that is a lot of effort, and this is an old story with a lot of problems.

I hope you enjoy the new version. It was admittedly a bit frustrating to edit, but it was well worth it, because I learned quite a bit from the process, and most importantly, it was lots of fun.

**Chapter 14**

_Day Five, part two_

Wolf didn't know how long he stood there, rereading the message. _Keep calm_, he told himself. _Relax_. _Don't lose control. Pup knows how to take care of himself; he's probably fine._ He was so focused that he didn't notice Leon's appearance until he spoke.

"Of all the times to go take a piss."

Wolf couldn't think of a comeback. He took a deep breath, still staring at the screen. "Please tell me he was wearing a vest."

"Of course he was wearing a damn vest." When Wolf looked up, Leon was still grim. "And the shooter knew it too."

Wolf swore. "It wasn't in the head, was it?"

"Would've been if the hare hadn't raised the alarm."

He felt tension fleeing his body. "And the weapon?"

"Ballistic."

"Damn. Toxins?"

"None. Whoever did it was either a cocky idiot or just a plain idiot."

Wolf jogged towards the stairs, and Leon trailed after him. "I hope you're not planning to talk to him," Leon said. "They're about to ship him out, and even if they aren't, I doubt anyone will want to see _you_."

Wolf growled at him, and the chameleon shrugged. "Just the truth. I bet some people are thinking we're the ones who did it. If I were them, I'd keep us as far away as I could."

They'd reach the stairs, and now they clambered upwards. There were less people here, but he still had to shove past an elderly raccoon. In Wolf's absence, he'd forgotten how cold and impersonal Leon was. "Then what do you propose I do?"

Leon shrugged. "They haven't found the sniper yet."

"Better hope they get there first." Wolf snarled and clenched his paws. "I'll tear her throat out if I catch her."

"Calm it down, stud." The last word had just the right inflection to make it mocking, but not annoying. "Mind telling me who shot him?"

They'd reached the ground level now, and the field entrance was only a short walk from their current location. "What makes you think I know?"

"I know all the scum in Corneria and none of them are stupid enough to shoot Fox. And unless you're a real misogynist..."

If Leon finished, Wolf didn't hear; he broke into a run as the entrance to the field came into view, snapping at people to make way as he shoved his way through the bystanders. Leon jogged behind him, and Wolf thought the chameleon said something about not wanting to attract any attention, but he didn't care. A path eventually cleared from him in the bottleneck of the entrance—but he knew it was only because nobody wanted to be too close to Wolf O'Donnell.

The entrance was guarded. Soldiers dressed in full, forbidding armor spanned the arch that led into the stadium's field, and they eyed him warily as he approached.

"Let me in," he said, almost panting.

One the soldiers, a weasel, shook his head. "Nobody goes in."

"Don't you know who I am?"

"We know exactly who you are." It was then that Wolf noticed how all their paws were at their weapons. "You're lucky we don't arrest you now, scum."

"You're an idiot. I'm..." His confidence wavered. What was he supposed to say, _I'm Fox's boyfriend_? He became aware of Leon's slick skin in contact with his fur, as if to say, _leave it_. "Fine," he said to both the chameleon and the guards. "I'll go."

The crowd stared at them as they left. Someone yelled an insult, but Wolf pretended he hadn't heard it. He'd lost count of how many times that had happened when Leon said to him, "Let's find lover-boy and get out of here."

"What're we doing about Fox?"

"There's nothing we can do this second," Leon hissed. "If he's going to die, there's nothing you do can stop it. Let's get somewhere where we can think."

Leon acting the leader made Wolf feel off-balance. "Okay. Do you know where Panther is?"

The chameleon glanced at his communicator. "Just follow me."

Wolf jogged to keep up with him. It took about five minutes of jogging, down the stairs and back into the complex, before the chameleon stopped outside a locked room. At his knock, the door slid open.

Panther was inside. "I managed to reserve this room for our purposes," he said, gesturing to a large display in the farthest corner, currently showing the Corneria Public News. "You missed the broadcast."

"Then start it over," Leon said.

"I'm working on it." Panther fumbled with the controls. It took a few minutes before he was able to get the beginning of the show on the screen, which showed reporters quibbling in the studio, giving blurbs of information that Wolf had already heard. About two minutes it, it cut to an on-site video.

It didn't surprise him that they didn't show the body—and Wolf winced when he caught himself thinking of Fox as just that. All they showed was the doctor, an old otter, staring at the camera.

"The patient was shot by a ballistic rifle in the upper arm. The force of the bullet was enough to fracture the shaft of his right humerus. We will be taking him in for observation overnight." He opened his mouth as if he were going to say more, but the sound from his end stopped channeling.

When the reporter started speaking again, Panther paused the video. "That's all we that can get from that."

"Okay." Wolf leaned against the wall, not trusting his legs. He hadn't expected to learn everything about Fox's condition, but he'd hoped for at least some idea. At least it seemed like he wasn't going to die. "Can anyone who saw it tell me what the hell happened?"

"Peppy saw the assassin first." Panther's smooth voice mocked Wolf's agitation. "He alerted Fox, who ducked behind the podium."

"He tried to cover what wasn't shielded by the vest," Leon said. "Saved his head, but not his arms. Bullet penetrated the podium and hit him."

"Dammit," Wolf said. He punched the wall, but all it did was hurt his fist. "The hell are we supposed to do now?"

Panther chuckled, and Wolf growled at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Why don't you call one of Star Fox?"

Wolf sighed. "The only one whose number I have is Fox."

"And?"

"Are you stupid? I don't know what his condition is, and I'm sure as hell not going to interrupt the doctors."

The chuckle turned into a laugh.

Wolf snarled. "You think this is funny?"

"Pardon. I know how serious this is, but I can't resist finding your reactions a bit entertaining."

"Ignore him," Leon said. "You know, we could always strike at Zenith on our own."

"Gee, how are we going to get over there? We sure as hell don't have time to fly there on anything we can afford."

Leon frowned. "I guess we need Pepper's support for that, too. Hell, we'll need transports to get back to our hotels, even. And you had to stay in the fancy-ass place, half an hour from where we're at."

"Quit your bitching." Wolf highlighted Fox's name on his communicator. "If I don't hear anything in the next ten minutes or so, I'm sending him a message."

"Fine. I'm going to go call a transport. Panther," Leon said, gesturing towards the other. "You come too."

"Very well."

The two of them clambered out the room, leaving Wolf alone. He paced the room, trying to keep himself calm, but he couldn't stop thinking about Fox, and those thoughts made his pulse race. By the timer on his communicator, six minutes had elapsed when he got the message, from a number he didn't recognize.

**This is peppy. I'm at the hospital. Call me at this number when given chance.**

He dialed immediately, and only when the hare's ghostly visage appeared before him did he consider that he had no idea what to say. He said the first thing that came to mind: "How is he?"

"He's fine. Lost a lot of blood, so we're letting him have his rest right now. Wolf... it wasn't your team, was it?"

"Look at me." He pointed at his muzzle. "Does I look like I was involved?

"Well, maybe you weren't, but—"

"Answer my question. How is he?"

Peppy's ears flicked in annoyance. "He's doing well. Will probably be perfectly fine by tomorrow, or even later tonight."

"I want to visit. What hospital?"

Peppy blinked at him, and his head turned, as if he were looking around the room. "I'm not allowed to tell you, and I don't think we could arrange a visit if I did."

Wolf laughed. "When has that ever stopped me? Just tell me where he is."

"Let me know how you plan on getting past all the guards without getting yourself or your teammates arrested."

"Guards?" He wasn't surprised. "How many?"

"More than I could count. You won't be getting in unless they let you."

"Great." Wolf knew the chances of that happening were zero. "When he wakes up, have him call me."

"I don't think I'll have to tell him, but I'll make sure he does." He paused, as if gathering his thoughts. "Do you have an idea who would have done this?"

It came out simply and freely, because it was obvious: "It was Zenith."

Peppy looked like he was going to laugh. "How are you so certain?"

"I'm positive it was them."

The hare frowned. "No mercenary group is going to gun down Fox McCloud to try to save themselves from a threat that might not even exist. There's more scum than Zenith out there, you know."

Wolf growled, remembering Leon's comment from earlier. "You need to contact Pepper for me. Get us permission to go for Zenith. We have to take them out."

"Wolf... with all that's going on, I can't guarantee that I'll even be able to talk to him."

"You have to." Wolf tried to sound dominating, but it came out as pathetic. "We have to leave tomorrow. Don't you understand? _They_ are the ones who owned Sargasso. _They _are the ones who told me they'd kill me unless I took out Fox. They are the ones who are in perfect position to take advantage of this mess the Aparoids caused and do whatever the hell they want with the rest of the system, especially if Fox and I are out of the way. We have to get rid of them, now."

Peppy shook his head. "That's… it's impossible. We can't do it."

"That's exactly what they want. We need ships, too."

"You're being unrealistic."

Wolf growled. "Do you think I have some hidden agenda? You think I don't care about Fox?"

The hare looked uneasy. "I'm not making any judgments. I can see this is hard for you, but..." The hare looked at something in his room, and jealousy overwhelmed Wolf, because it had to be Fox he was watching. "I just... I need some time to think, and maybe discuss things with Fox."

Wolf's ears perked. The door to the room opened; Panther and Leon stepped into the room with him. He motioned for them to be silent. "Do it now," he said. "I've got to get back to the hotel, but I want to know tonight what we're doing tomorrow."

"I'll stay in touch," the hare said. "If I don't call with news, call sometime tonight anyway."

Wolf nodded and ended the call.

"Didn't know you were on good terms with the man," Panther said.

"Me either," Wolf muttered. He recounted the conversation as best he could, omitting minor details to make himself sound less desperate. When he finished, Panther grunted.

"So now we play the waiting game."

"I feel so goddam useless," Wolf said. "And so fucking dumb."

"Just relax," Leon said. "Transports will be here soon, so we should be heading out."

"A good idea." Panther grinned. "I, for one, have a date tonight."

Wolf gritted his teeth and looked only at Leon. "I would've had a date if my boyfriend hadn't been shot."

"Knowing him," Leon said, cocking an eye at Panther, "he probably just has a date with his paw."

Panther huffed. "That's completely outrageous."

"Can it." Though the words were harsh, Leon's voice remained eerily calm. "Why don't you go ahead out? I'm going with Wolf for the night."

"Very well. I'll see you two soon."

When he'd exited and the door had closed, Wolf said, unable to keep the venom from his voice, "Sometimes I wonder why we hired him."

"It's no fault of his. I think it's a mental deformity, how he can't understand how close gets to having a muzzle full of fist."

Wolf crossed his arms. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of this sleepover?"

Leon's mouth pursed together, as if in annoyance. "I have three reasons. One," he said, extending a finger, "is your fancy hotel. Two: if Panther does bring back a bitch, I don't want to have to listen to their mewls all night. Three: it would be a shame for you to commit suicide. I'd rather do the honors myself."

Wolf laughed. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Left side," Leon said as Wolf opened the door to his room.

"Dammit."

"That your new favorite word?"

Wolf sighed. "It's been a rough day."

Leon whistled when they stepped inside. "Nice."

"Nice," Wolf said, sitting himself in one of the armchairs near the door, "and free. And you still had to take my side of the bed."

"At least I'll still sleep in the same bed as you."

Wolf grinned. "I keep telling him I won't touch his ass. It's not much to look at, anyway."

Leon settled into one of the other chairs nearby. "I don't think he understands," he said. "Anyway, a man lacks the blood to power both his brain and penis to optimum function simultaneously."

"How would you know? You've never used either."

"Shut it.

Wolf's comm buzzed to life. He brought it up to his eyes, and his heart beat faster when he read the words _Incoming call request from Fox McCloud_.


End file.
